My Best Friend
by Jral
Summary: Edward and Bella have been best friends and neighbors their whole loves. They both harbor secret feelings for one another, but lack the courage to make the next move. One summer will change everything. M for lang/lemon. Canon Pairings. LONGER SUMM INSIDE.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are the sole property of Stephanie Meyers.

_**Summary:**__Edward and Bella were born within weeks of one another, neighbors and best friends. Nerdy Edward idolizes his best friend, the girl every guy wants and every girl wants to be. Shining star Bella is in love with Edward, but lacks the courage to make her move. But one summer will change everything. Edward has grown up, and returns from his vacation a new man, finally ready to make Bella his. Her summer, however, was much more tragic. Her parents file for a nasty divorce, her mother abandons her, and her father retreats into his depression. When Edward returns, will he be able to save the girl he loves? With the help of their friends, the duo might just survive their senior year, and have a chance at their happily ever after._

**A/N: I'm ridiculously busy with school right now, but this story idea popped into my head the other day and I just couldn't resist! In just a few weeks my class load will lighten, and I will have a lot more time for writing. But for now, I will do my best to update at least once a week. Please hang in there with me! Enjoy =)**

Prologue

Narrator POV

"Oh! She's adorable!" Esme leaned over to coo at the tiny little bundle, her own pride and joy currently struggling to stay awake in his father's arms.

"Isn't she beautiful?" Charlie's eyes are glued to his daughter's face, his voice full of reverence. He and Renee had never planned to have children, but one look at his daughter's angelic face and he just knew that she was the reason he had been put on this earth. Surely a child so perfect was destined for great things.

"Edward, meet your future wife...." Carlisle began, carrying his squirming son across the room. He looked between Charlie and Renee expectantly, and Charlie merely frowned.

"Her name is Isabella, and I hope you realize that you just made it my personal duty to keep these two as far away from one another as possible," he growled quietly. Esme and Carlisle both chuckled while Charlie remained silent, assuring them that he was in fact serious.

"Isabella," Esme murmured. "What a beautiful name," she smiled at Renee, who was watching silently from her hospital bed.

"Charlie picked it," she smiled tightly. "It was a family name, apparently," she explained, her distaste obvious in her tone. In Charlie's arms, the little angel began to squirm, her tiny face scrunching up in preparation for tears. Her quiet whimpers quickly turned into a loud wail, causing Charlie's eyes to widen in panic.

"Um, does she need to eat, maybe? Do you think you should try to feed her?" he asked his wife nervously.

"I'm tired, Charlie. Use a bottle; isn't that what I had to fill them up for?" Renee whined. Charlie quickly went to retrieve one, while Esme and Carlisle exchanged a worried glance.

Half an hour later, Isabella was fed, burped, and changed, and Renee was sleeping soundly in her bed.

"Well, I guess we should get going. I think it's time to put Edward down," Carlisle started, heading toward the door. He and Esme said a whispered goodbye to Charlie and Isabella, then turned to leave the room. As soon as the passed the doorway, both children began to wail loudly, their screams echoing through the small hospital room. The three new parents looked at each other questioningly, rocking their children and murmuring words of comfort. When their cries refused to quiet, Esme and Carlisle stepped back into the room, walking over to the changing table on the wall beside Charlie. The room was silent almost instantly, and the parents exchanged glances. With a small shrug, Carlisle picked Edward back up and turned to leave, once more setting off their cries. Esme quickly took Edward out of Carlisle's arms, walking to stand beside Charlie and Isabella. The babies quieted once more, and Esme smirked at a distressed Charlie.

"Well, Charlie, it seems like you have your work cut out for you," she giggled softly. Carlisle joined her laughter, and set their diaper bag back down on the counter. Charlie's eyes narrowed as he glanced back and forth between his daughter and Edward.

"Traitor," he murmured, staring down at the innocent little beauty in his arms. Esme and Carlisle sunk into chairs beside him, and the three of them talked quietly, while Renee slept peacefully in her bed.

**A/N: Alright everybody, there's the prologue. There's obviously a little trouble in paradise right off the bat, but things won't really heat up for a few more chapters. Leave me some reviews to let me know what you think, and in the meantime I'll work on getting the first chapter up!**


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are the sole property of Stephanie Meyers.

**A/N: You guys ready for the first chapter? This is still in the past, but I thought you guys might like to get a glimpse into the kids' childhood. Lemme know how I do =)**

Chapter 1

BPOV

"Bells! Let's go!" I tugged my hair up into a ponytail and ran down the stairs, jumping down the last two. My dad watched me from our front door, an amused smile in place and a picnic basket in his hand.

"Bye, mom!" I yelled. She waved absentmindedly to me while she paced the kitchen, chattering excitedly on the phone. I simply rolled my eyes and followed my dad out the door; she was _always_ on the phone.

"Go grab Edward while I get the truck loaded, will ya?" I nodded to my dad and took off across the yard, skipping up our next-door neighbors' porch and pushing open the door. I didn't bother knocking; I never had. This was as much my home as it was theirs'.

My sneakers thudded softly on the hardwood, leading me straight to the bright kitchen. This house may be right next to mine, but it was completely different. The yard was three times the size, with a river running on the edge of the property. The actual house was enormous. Where mine had two bedrooms and one shared bathroom, theirs' had five bedrooms and three separate bathrooms. I don't know why the three of them needed so much space, but it was beautiful nonetheless.

The scent of freshly baked oatmeal raisin cookies wafted through the air, and I followed my nose to where Esme was setting them gently onto a cooling rack. She was humming quietly to herself, swaying from side to side as she danced around the kitchen.

"Hi, Esme," I greeted her brightly. She turned to beam at me, walking over and pulling me into a tight hug before placing a loving kiss on top of my head.

"Hello, Bella. Edward's still upstairs. You might want to go up and get him, or he might never make it down," she chuckled. I returned her smile and walked out of the room, running up the stairs and down the hall to Edward's door. When I pushed it open, I couldn't help the giggle that slipped out of my mouth.

Edward was propped up in front of his computer in a large leather desk chair, a plate of cookie crumbs and a half-drunken glass of milk at his side, and the dorkiest looking headset strapped to his ears. His fingers were dancing across his keyboard and he talked animatedly into his mic as his game played across the screen. At the sound of my laugh, he swiveled in his chair, a lopsided grin spreading across his lips.

"Hey, Bells!" he greeted me, turning back to his screen.

"Hurry up, Edward. My dad's not gonna wait forever, you know," I sighed. He said a quick goodbye to his gaming friends and shut down his computer, rushing around the room to find his shoes as I plopped down on his bed.

Five minutes later, we were taking a bag of cookies from Esme and rushing out the door, fighting over who got the first one as we crossed back over to my yard. We reached my dad's truck and noticed he was standing on the sidewalk, talking to a man carrying a large box. There was a moving truck behind him, and a few men in back braces carrying furniture into the vacant house on our other side. Edward shrugged at me and we walked over to my dad, just as I noticed a tiny raven-haired girl standing by the man's side.

"Bells, there you are," my dad turned to me. He placed a hand on top of my head, pulling me into his side.

"This is my daughter, Bella, and her friend Edward," he introduced us. "Edward lives just next door. His father's the chief of medicine over at Forks General Hospital. Bella, Edward, these are our new neighbors." The man smiled down at us and put an arm around the little girl's shoulders.

"Hello, Bella, Edward," he replied. "I'm Chris Brandon, and this is my daughter, Alice. Her mother Cynthia is inside, but I'm sure you'll meet her soon." The little girl waved at us energetically, a bright smile on her face as she stepped out from behind her father's legs. She was at least four inches shorter than me, and she was so tiny she looked like a little fairy. Her dark hair was pulled into two long braids, one hanging over each shoulder. She danced over to me and wrapped me in a tight hug, catching me off guard.

"It's so nice to meet you, Bella," she sang. "You're going to be my best friend," she declared. I giggled lightly, unable to help myself, and hugged her back. When she finally let go to hug Edward, I turned my face up to my father.

"Dad, can we take Alice fishing with us?" I asked. He looked from my face to Mr. Brandon's, then down to little Alice.

"I don't know, Bells....." he started, but was interrupted by Alice's squeal of delight.

"Oh, can I, please?" she begged, latching onto her father's pant leg. "I've never been fishing before, and I want to play with my new friends," she insisted. She turned to look at my father, her large hazel eyes shining with hope and unshed tears. My father caved immediately, always a sucker for a little girl with puppy-dog eyes.

"Well, it's fine with me," he shrugged, looking to Mr. Brandon. Her father looked down at her for a minute, eyes squinted, then looked back up at my dad with a bright smile.

"Sure, that sounds fine," he agreed. Alice jumped up and down excitedly, linking her arm with mine and grinning from ear to ear. I couldn't help but smile with her, and Edward just laughed at our enthusiasm and lead us back to the truck. My dad spoke with Mr. Brandon for a few more minutes, then climbed into the driver's seat and started her up.

We maneuvered the winding roads through Washington, headed for La Push. My father's best friend, Billy Black, lived right near a little lake, and had a boat they took out often. I wasn't the biggest fan of fishing, but I always had fun with my dad and Edward. Alice chattered excitedly throughout the drive, telling us all about herself. She had been a foster child all of her life, and had been adopted by the Brandons on her tenth birthday. They decided to move to Forks from Seattle, agreeing that a small town would be a nice place to start their new family. Alice would be entering the fifth grade with me and Edward in just a few weeks.

Alice had just started asking us all a million questions about Forks when we pulled up to the Blacks' house. Billy rolled out onto the front porch in his wheelchair, his son Jacob right behind him. He and his wife had divorced a few years ago, taking their two daughters with her, so it was just him and Jake now. Jake hurried down the steps to greet us, and my dad went to talk to Billy.

"Bella!" he shouted, rushing up to grab me in a bear hug. Jake was just a few months younger than me and Edward, but we didn't see him very often since he went to school here on the reservation. That was probably a god thing, because him and Edward didn't really seem to get along.

"Can't—breathe—Jake," I wheezed, my arms trapped by my side.

"Put her down, Jake. You're hurting her," Edward growled. Jake dropped me quickly, rolling his eyes at Edward.

"She's fine, Eddie. Quit being so dramatic," he teased. Edward glared at the side of his head, both from Jake's casual nickname and his dismissive words, his emerald eyes flashing with anger. I shot him a 'cool it' look and turned back to Jake.

"Jake, this is my new neighbor, Alice. Alice, this is Jake," I introduced. She looked back and forth between the two boys for a second, before plastering on a smile and saying a chipper 'nice to meet you' to Jake. My dad motioned for us all to follow him out back to the lake, and Alice and I talked excitedly while the boys helped him load all of our gear into the boat. He instructed us to dig up some bait, and we turned our eyes toward the mud.

"Ew!" Alice shrieked, running away from the worm Jake had pinched between his fingers.

"What's wrong? You don't like worms?" he laughed. I quickly went to her side and put my arm around her in comfort when I saw the terrified look on her face.

"You want me to touch that?" she asked disbelievingly. My dad handed Jake the bait bucket, and smiled gently at Alice.

"We need the worms for bait, sweetie," he explained. "We can't catch any fish without 'em." Alice's forehead crinkled in confusion.

"What do you mean, 'bait'? How are the fish gonna know you have 'em up here?" she asked, her tiny little head tilting to the side. All three of the guys fought to stifle their laughter, and I looked at Alice sympathetically.

"Alice, you have to put the worm on the hook," I told her, holding up a hook for an example. She looked back and forth between my face and the hook a few times, before a look of horror crossed her cute little face.

"You mean, you're gonna stab that hook through their tiny little bodies?" she shrieked. I cringed both from her voice and from her description; I always tried not to think about that part when we went fishing.

"Dad, I think maybe Alice and I should sit this one out," I started. "Why don't you and the boys go, and I'll stay with her here on the shore?" I offered.

"Are you sure, squirt?" he asked. I rolled my eyes at him (he knows how much I hate fishing) and nodded my head.

"Alright, you're loss," he sighed, trudging back over to the dock. Jacob followed him quickly with his bucket of worms, and Edward shot me an angry glare.

"I can't believe you're leaving me with him," he spat, motioning toward Jake's retreating figure. "This sucks!" he spun on his heal and stomped over to the boat, plunking down on his seat with his arms crossed over his chest. I rolled my eyes, a motion I was used to by now, and settled myself on the blanket Alice had pulled out of the picnic basket.

We talked and giggled for hours, watching the boys attempt (with little success) to catch any good fish. I settled onto my back and stared up at the passing clouds, enjoying the rare sunny day we were having. Today was a good day. I could hear Edward laughing in the distance, while my father fought with his fishing pole. The water was splashing quietly on the shore, and the tall grass around us was swaying gently in the breeze. Alice had lain down beside me, and was now humming a soft tune under her breath.

I savored the moment, knowing it wouldn't last forever. Soon, Jacob and Edward would start bickering, and my dad would call it a day. We would have to take Alice home, and Edward too, then my dad and I would go in for dinner. We'd clean and cook our catch together while my mom talked on the phone upstairs, and afterwards we'd settle onto the couch and watch the Mariner's play, before we both went up to bed. I would lay in my darkened room and hope for sleep, listening to my parents argue quietly but fiercely about everything under the sun. Eventually, they would tire themselves out and the house would grow silent. I would fall asleep shortly after, my dad's quiet snores bringing me peace at last.

**A/N: Well, there's chapter 1! What did you guys think? In case you didn't catch it, they're all about ten years old at this point. The next chapter will jump to high school, and show us how they've grown. I just thought this would be a nice glimpse into their past =) **


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are the sole property of Stephanie Meyers.

**A/N: This chapter is the three friends in high school. It's gonna be Bella's POV for now, and the next chapter will be Edward's. We'll see a little bit more of their relationships with one another and their personalities in this one, and then we will segue into the main plot. Enjoy =)**

Chapter 2

**BPOV**

"Bella!" I turned at the sound of my name, my eyes searching for the little pixie that it came from. Her little black head bobbed across the parking lot, and I smiled reflexively.

"Hey, Alice," I greeted my friend. She danced to my side, her hazel eyes sparkling with excitement, and wrapped me in a tight hug. She was definitely strong for someone so small. Her head came just up to my shoulder, which isn't saying much since I'm only 5'4". She had chopped off all of her dark hair, leaving the ends uneven and sticking out from her head in every direction. It suited her tiny frame perfectly.

"Aren't you excited? I can't believe it's the last day already!" she exclaimed. "I am so ready to be a senior! You and me are gonna rule the school," she giggled, doing a bad impersonation of _Grease_. I rolled my eyes but hooked my arm through hers and steered us into the building and toward our lockers.

We were greeted by dozens of students as we passed, wishing us good summers or asking us to sign their yearbooks. We stopped several times to take pictures with friends and reminisce about the school year, finally making it to our lockers just a few minutes before the warning bell would ring. My heart skipped a beat in my chest as I took in the boy leaning against my locker door, and I willed it to steady itself as a grin stretched across my face.

"Good morning, sunshine," I teased. Edward grunted in response, taking a sip of his morning coffee and moving out of the way so I could get my books. I took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of his cologne, and unlocked my locker with shaky hands.

I was in love with Edward. I'm not sure when it happened really; I think I always have been. Our parents have been friends since before we were born. Our moms were college roommates in Seattle, and our dads met through them. The four of them transplanted themselves in Forks, my dad's hometown, and they've all been here ever since. They had me and Edward only weeks apart, and even bought houses next door to one another. We have been neighbors and best friends since birth. I guess it was fate's idea of a joke to make him irresistible on top of it all. Too bad he doesn't even realize I'm a girl.

I watched him out of the corner of my eye as I stuffed my books into my backpack. He was about four inches taller than me, and all limbs. Due to his lack of athleticism and his love for computer games, he had never really filled out his frame. Personally, I thought his lankiness was part of his charm. His skin was pale from staying indoors, and his bronze-colored hair stood up in all directions, both naturally and because he was constantly running his hands through it. Square black glasses framed his gorgeous green eyes, and his full pink lips were always twisted up into a crooked grin. He was dressed in his usual attire: blue jeans, converse, and a blue tee with 'Alliance' scrawled across the front.

I slammed my locker door shut and headed off to class, my two best friends at my side. Edward was walking quietly on my right, sipping his coffee in an attempt to wake up before class started; he wasn't a morning person. Alice was talking animatedly about the camp we were going to with our dance team this summer, and all of the preparations we needed to do for student council before school started back up in the fall. She had just launched into a debate on which song she thinks I should pick for my solo at the senior choir concert next year.

"Alice, why don't we worry about finishing this year before we start thinking about the next one," I laughed. Edward grinned a heart-stopping grin at our excitable friend, his coffee finally starting to kick in, and Alice nodded sadly.

"Bella, baby! What's up?" I cringed as an arm was draped around my shoulders from my right, Mike Newton's face popping up to separate me and Edward. I caught a furious glare crossing Edward's face, his jaw flexing in annoyance.

"Hi, Mike," I answered politely. I shrugged at his arm, but he held it firmly in place, even daring to squeeze my shoulder.

"What's up, Cullen?" he spat. "Nail any ass lately? Oh no, that's right, you haven't. Hey man, you know cyber-sex doesn't count right?" he asked mockingly. His lackeys, Eric and Tyler, guffawed loudly behind us. Anger coursed through me as Edward clenched his fists, eyes fixed straight ahead.

"Knock it off, Mike," I warned, grabbing his hand and dropping it from my shoulder.

"Aw, come on, Bella! I'm just messin' with him," he whined. "We're cool, right, Cullen?" he asked, nudging Edward with his elbow. Edward glanced sideways at him, nodded once, then turned his head to stare straight forward again.

"See? It's all good!" he laughed. "Now maybe if the little tech whiz will pull his head out of your ass and stop drooling over you for ten minutes, you and me can score a little alone time," he grinned, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. I stopped in the middle of the hallway and spun to face him, shoving him away from me with one hand on his chest.

"You know, Mike, it would be a shame if my dad happened to receive an anonymous tip about that 'wild kegger' being held at your house this weekend," I growled. His eyes widened slightly, before narrowing at me.

"You wouldn't," he spat. I reached a hand out toward the crowd of onlookers that was gathering, and someone handed me a neon yellow flyer. I dangled the piece of paper in front of Mike's face, letting him get a good look at the invites he had passed out to anyone and everyone, before folding it up and stuffing it in my pocket.

"Now quit being an asshole and leave me and my friends the hell alone," I warned. He glared at me for a second before motioning to his friends with a nod of his head, the three of them heading off down the hallway.

"You didn't have to do that, you know," Edward murmured once the crowd had dispersed. "I can take care of myself." He kept his eyes on his shoes, walking down the hallway by my side.

"That wasn't just for you," I lied. "Mike pisses me off. I hate how he treats people." Edward looked over at me, a sad smile on his face.

"Besides," I continued, "I wanted to stop him from digging himself too big of a hole with you. When the 'little tech whiz' he tortured in high school grows up to become a multi-millionaire, he's gonna wish he had been nicer to you," I teased, nudging him with my shoulder. He rolled his eyes at me but his smile finally reached his eyes, and he flung a bony arm up to drape it around my shoulders. I melted into side, enjoying his touch probably a little too much.

The rest of our day passed rather quickly. Our classes consisted of lectures about our futures rather than actual work, which was probably a good thing since nobody was paying any attention anyway. There was talk of a few end-of-the-year parties and summer vacations, and promises to keep in touch as yearbooks were passed around.

I sat with Edward, Alice, and Emmett at lunch, all of us talking happily about our plans for the summer. Emmett had moved here at the beginning of the year, and was definitely the perfect addition to our little group. He was huge, solid muscle, and was the star of the football team. But inside he was really just a teddy-bear, and his kind heart led him straight to us on his first day. He didn't get along with the rest of the jocks, and claimed to prefer our company to theirs. We hadn't questioned him, but accepted his friendship, and he had sat with us ever since.

Edward disappeared after school for one last meeting with the computer science team, and Emmett headed over to pick up his football practice schedule for the summer. Alice and I walked arm and arm to our student council meeting, making sure everything was set for next year. I was the president of the student council and the senior class, and Alice was my vice president.

With everything good to go, we ran to the dance room and had a quick talk with our coach and the girls. I was going to be Colonel this year, with Alice, naturally, as our Major. Our coach, Mrs. Cope, had picked out a few different costume and uniform choices for us, and Alice and I showed them to the rest of the team for a vote. Lauren and Jessica, our captains, went straight for the skimpier pieces, but eventually we came up with some great pieces and moved on to schedule discussions. We had two separate camps to attend, one as a team, and one just officers, and practices scheduled throughout the month before school started. It was definitely going to be a busy summer, but I was excited nonetheless.

Our day finally complete, Alice and I split up in the parking lot. She hopped into her canary yellow Porsche and sped off toward home, while I climbed into the cab of my rusty red Chevy and headed for the public library. My dad had passed the beast of a truck on to me when I turned sixteen, opting to use his police cruiser as his primary mode of transportation. It came in handy with all of my extracurriculars, and I loved it.

It was definitely nice to have now that I was starting my part-time job. Since neither of my parents made very much, I was going to have to work to be able to afford college next year. I already had a few scholarships under my belt, and grants would cover the rest of my tuition, but I needed money for room and board. Edward and I were both planning to attend the University of Washington in Seattle, so we decided to get an apartment together instead of living in the dorms. His parents had insisted that they would cover our expenses, but it felt like I was taking advantage of them. I had convinced them to let me at least get a part-time job and save up some money to help with groceries and furnishings.

My excellent grades and love for reading, as well as my role as the Chief's daughter, had earned me a job at the public library three days a week. It was perfect for me, to work in a place surrounded by books, and even though the pay wasn't very high it was still nice to have a little cash. I had only been working here about a month so far, but didn't have any complaints. Well, maybe just one: it definitely cut back on any free time I had to hang out with Edward.

Besides my hidden feelings for him, he was still my best friend, and I missed him. I was always so busy with different clubs and teams after school, and now working, that we hardly had time to hang out anymore. I was hoping we could spend some time together during the summer, but he was leaving first thing in the morning to spend the summer with his grandparents at their cabin in Massachusetts.

I released a heavy sigh and jumped down from my truck, hurrying through the rain and into the building. Tonight was my last night with Edward for the next two and a half months, and I didn't want to spend it working. I had agreed to come in tomorrow in exchange for cutting my shift down today. I just had to check in the returns and shelve them, then I could take off for the day. I would worry about the rest of my duties tomorrow.

With my thoughts on Edward, I rushed through my work, eager to get home. Tonight was dinner, just the two of us. It might not be the romantic date I longed for, but Edward would be there, and that's all that mattered. For now.

**A/N: Well, how'd I do? The next chapter will be the whole day in Edward's POV, and I'll post that tomorrow. In the meantime, send me some reviews!**


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are the sole property of Stephanie Meyers.

**A/N: Here's Edward's POV of the last chapter. I just wanted to get both of their views on their lives, relationship, and high school before I jumped into the story. R&R plz!**

Chapter 3

**EPOV**

I leaned against Bella's locker, sipping my coffee and trying to wake up. I hated mornings. I usually stayed up until around three in the morning most days, working on my computer. I was definitely more of a night owl.

I heard her before I actually saw her. Even through the hum of voices crowding the hallway, I could pick out her musical laugh with no trouble at all. That might be because I'm just a tiny bit obsessed with her, but whatever.

Bella was perfect. She was drop-dead gorgeous, a straight-A student, class president, student body president, the head of the dance team, star soloist for the choir, funny, ridiculously sweet, and for some reason, my best friend. There wasn't a single bone in her body that wasn't handcrafted by God. Every guy wanted her, and every girl wanted to be her. The girls all desperately want to hate her, but she's just so damn nice that they can't. Bella's the golden girl of not just our high school, but our entire town. But she spends her free time hanging out with yours truly.

Not that I'm complaining, or anything. I just don't get it. I mean, I get the whole 'our parents are friends, we're neighbors, and we grew up together' thing; I just figured that, with her being so perfect, eventually she would move on to someone better. I guess that's why I love her so much; she could be friends with anybody, but she sticks loyally by my side.

"Good morning, sunshine," she giggles, her and Alice sauntering up to their lockers. I let out a grunt in response, not just for lack of sleep, but 'cause that's what she does to me: knocks me speechless. I stepped to the side so she can get to her locker, inhaling the sweet scent of strawberry shampoo and freesia body lotion as the air stirs around her.

While she rummages through her locker, I take the time to look her over. Her long, toned legs are covered in dark-wash denim, and her feet are adorned with bright yellow converse that have seen better days. She's wearing a basic 'Forks High School' tee in blue and gold, our school colors, that fits all of her mouthwatering curves snugly, and her thick, chestnut waves cascade down her shoulders to the middle of her back. Despite the amount of time she spends outdoors with her dance team, her ivory skin has refused to tan, and it contrasts beautifully with her wide, chocolate-brown eyes. Her face is clear of makeup, which she definitely doesn't need, and her cheeks hold a light pink tint that darkens with any heightened emotion. She's absolutely perfect.

She finally closes her locker door, putting a stop to my ogling, and I push my glasses up on the bridge of my nose to follow her down the hall. Alice is talking endlessly about Bella's numerous after-school activities, and I listen distractedly as I sip my coffee. Bella makes a comment about focusing on finishing the school year, and I can't help but chuckle at Alice's crestfallen expression, having been robbed of her chance to talk. My grin quickly fades, however, when an irritating voice sounds from between me and Bella, and my blood starts to boil.

"Bella, baby! What's up?" Mike Newton slings an arm around Bella's shoulders, oblivious to her irritated expression, and squeezes her shoulder tightly. I fight the urge to rip his arm out of its socket, locking my gaze on the hallway in front of us.

"Hi, Mike," Bella answers him softly. I can see her shrugging at his arm, apparently giving him the option to move it himself, but to no avail. My fingers are twitching at my desire to rip him off of her.

"What's up, Cullen?" he spat in my direction. "Nail any ass lately? Oh no, that's right, you haven't. Hey man, you know cyber-sex doesn't count right?" he asked. His little followers cackled behind us, and my hands begin to sweat. I'm used to hearing people whisper behind my back, wondering why Bella has dubbed me worthy of her time. They usually never say anything to my face, though, at the risk of upsetting her. Mike is one of the few exceptions.

"Knock it off, Mike," Bella warned, finally grabbing his arm and pulling it off her shoulder on her own.

"Aw, come on, Bella! I'm just messin' with him," he whined. "We're cool, right, Cullen?" he asked, nudging me with his elbow. I steel my nerves and simply nod in agreement, hoping desperately that he'll just go away. Mike's not a huge guy, but he's definitely bigger than me. He's got about two inches on my and probably a good forty pounds. My lack of athleticism has made me a pretty big target for him and his football buddies. As much as I hate to admit it, I don't really stand a chance.

"See? It's all good!" he laughed. "Now maybe if the little tech whiz will pull his head out of your ass and stop drooling over you for ten minutes, you and me can score a little alone time," he grinned, waggling his eyebrows at Bella suggestively. My patience has reached its end, but Bella beats me to him. She stopped in the middle of the hall, shoving against his chest with her tiny little hand.

"You know, Mike, it would be a shame if my dad happened to receive an anonymous tip about that 'wild kegger' being held at your house this weekend," she growled. My own eyes widened along with Mike's at the venom in her usually sweet voice.

"You wouldn't," he spat. She stuck out a pale arm, and one of the many students that had stopped to watch the scene unfold quickly placed what she wanted in her hand. She waved a neon yellow sheet in front of Mike's face, and by the look in his eyes I can only assume it was one of the flyers he had handed out to announce his little party. She quickly folded it up and slipped it into her pocket, then narrowed her eyes at him.

"Now quit being an asshole and leave me and my friends the hell alone," she warned. He glared at her for a second before motioning to his friends with a nod of his head, the three of them heading off down the hallway.

"You didn't have to do that, you know," I mumbled once everyone had scattered. I feel like such a pansy, letting Bella stick up for me all the time. If it wasn't for her, I'd be getting my ass kicked on a daily basis. Instead, this 5'4" dancer is fighting my battles for me. Talk about making you feel like less of a man.

"I can take care of myself." I kept my eyes glued to the floor as I followed her down the hallway.

"That wasn't just for you," she argued, trying to make me feel better. "Mike pisses me off. I hate how he treats people." I tossed her a sad smile, feeling guilty for whining about it.

"Besides," she continued, "I wanted to stop him from digging himself too big of a hole with you. When the 'little tech whiz' he tortured in high school grows up to become a multi-millionaire, he's gonna wish he had been nicer to you," she teased, nudging me with her shoulder. I rolled my eyes, but couldn't stop the grin from spreading across my face. I lifted a bony arm up to drape across her shoulders, glad that she didn't shrug me off like she did Mike. In fact, she settled into my side, like there was nowhere else she'd rather be. That has to mean something, right?

The rest of the day was pretty boring. We weren't doing anything in any of our classes, since it was the last day, so I spent my time daydreaming about Bella. I did my best to ignore the whispered conversations about Bella wearing the pants in our relationship, and I avoided Mike like the plague. I may not like it when Bella fights my battles, but I wasn't stupid enough to face Mike on my own.

Lunch finally came around, and I quickly settled at our usual table with my friends. I watched Emmett and Bella joke around about the possibility that our football team might actually win a game this year. She laughed freely, her beautiful smile lighting up her face, and I couldn't help but smile reflexively.

"Why don't you just tell her?" I whipped my head around to look at Alice, who was watching me from across the table with one eyebrow raised.

"Tell who what?" I asked, my forehead furrowing in confusion. She rolled her eyes and sighed a delicate little sigh.

"Tell Bella that you love her," she explained, exasperated at my inability to keep up. I quickly shot her a death glare, glancing at Bella to make sure she hadn't heard.

"What are you talking about, Alice?" I growled at the little pixie. She laughed a tinkling little laugh, and shook her head sadly.

"Silly Edward, don't try to deny it. I've known since the second I met you. You can't take your eyes off her if the two of you are in the same room," she giggled. "But I see the way she looks at you too, and one of you is gonna have to just spit it out and make the first move." I frowned down at her, completely confused.

"Even if you are right, and I do feel that way, there's no way she does too. She's way too good for me, and I understand that. I'm not gonna ruin our friendship out of some selfish desire to keep her to myself," I argued in a hushed whisper.

"First of all, I am right, and you do love her. Second, she loves you too, trust me. And third, she's not too good for you; you guys are perfect for each other, you're both just too shy to do anything about it," she stated confidently. I rolled my eyes, and thankfully was saved by the ringing of the bell. I stood quickly and headed off to class, eager to escape that conversation. I put Alice's words out of my head, not wanting to give myself any hope, and continued on with my day as if nothing had happened.

As soon as the final bell rang, I hurried off to the computer lab for a computer science meeting. I wouldn't be able to practice with the rest of the guys over the summer, but I didn't really need it; I would be fine once competition season rolled around. After a quick talk with our coach and a few goodbyes, I slid into my silver Volvo and sped off toward my house, eager to set everything up for this evening.

Once Bella got out of work, the two of us were going to hang out one last time before I left for the summer. I hated the thought of not seeing her for over two months, but I hadn't been to see my grandparents in years, and my mother had guilted me into going. They owned a huge log cabin-style house on a lake, and owned a small business offering boat tours to tourists. It wasn't my idea of the perfect summer, but it wouldn't be too bad, I suppose.

I spent the next hour making sure I had everything packed, so I could have the rest of the evening free for Bella. I had an entire suitcase devoted to my computer and hardware. I had started my own business at the beginning of the school year, repairing people's computers for extra money. I had been keeping it a secret from Bella, which was pretty easy considering how little free time she has, since I had gotten it initially to earn a little money to get her something. Forks apparently was in dire need of a computer repairman, since I was bringing in way more than I ever planned. I had a good amount in savings already, that I would use when we moved up to Seattle.

I grinned at the thought of next year. Just one more year of high school, and we would be off to Seattle, just me and Bella, moving into our own apartment. Hopefully by then I will have gotten the guts to tell her how I feel, and maybe, just maybe, she'll return my feelings.

Noticing the time, I pulled myself out of my daydreams and rushed downstairs, rummaging around in the kitchen for everything I needed. I only had about two hours until Bella was home, and I needed everything to be perfect. It might not be the romantic date I longed for, but Bella would be there, and that's all that mattered. For now.

**A/N: Awwww isn't he adorable? I love nerdy Edward, he's the best! Well, you know the drill; send me some reviews and I'll get you the next chapter as soon as I can! **


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are the sole property of Stephanie Meyers.

**A/N: Alright, here's Bella and Edward's last night together. The next chapter will jump into their separate summers. R&R plz!**

Chapter 4

**BPOV**

My house was quiet when I finally made it back. Normally, that wouldn't be considered a bad thing. But I knew for a fact that my dad had taken the day off to go fishing with Billy this morning, and he should've been back at least an hour ago. My mom's a kindergarten teacher in town, so she's usually home way before me. But if they're both home, why is it so quiet?

I dropped my backpack on the floor in the entryway, slipping out of my coat and hanging my keys on the rack. All the lights are off, and there's no sign of either of my parents. The hair on my arms is standing on end at the dread that has settled in the pit of my stomach. Something's wrong; something has to be wrong. I venture into the kitchen, hoping that maybe my dad's just cleaning fish out back, but I find a note on the counter instead

Bells,

Your mom and I are in Seattle for the evening. We decided

to catch a Mariner's game to kick off the summer. Enjoy

your dinner with Edward, and we'll see you in the morning.

Love,

Dad

Okay, so there's nothing wrong with that. They just decided to go see a baseball game. Except, they just don't go see baseball games. I mean, my dad does; usually with Billy and Jake, or sometimes Edward. But my mom? Never. She hates baseball. With a passion.

I shake my head to clear my thoughts, and trudge up the stairs to my room. I won't worry about that tonight. I'm sure their fine, and they just wanted to get out for a little while. Tonight, I just want to think about me and Edward.

I only have time to rinse my face and brush out my hair before there's a light tapping coming from my little balcony. I grin to myself and turn to open the door, finding Edward standing in front of me with a crooked smile on his lips.

"After you," he bows dramatically, gesturing with his arm to the tree-house behind him. Our dads had gotten together and built it when we were seven. They thought it would be easier than building two, so they gave us one big one that connects to my little Juliet balcony and Edward's huge deck.

I can't help but laugh as I climb over the railing and through the little door. In the middle of our tree-house, Edward has laid out a soft green blanket, with seating for two. There are little tealight candles scattered around the room, and soft piano music playing from a small stereo in the corner. The plates have silver covers on them, and he steps around me to remove them with a flourish, revealing chicken alfredo and garlic bread, my favorite.

"Oh my God, Edward, it's perfect! How did you have time to do all of this?" I look up into his eyes, and notice a light blush appearing on his cheeks.

"It didn't really take that long," he mumbled, shrugging nonchalantly. I walked over and wrapped my arms around his waist, pulling him in for a hug. He hesitates for a moment before draping his own arms around my shoulders, and I close my eyes to savor the moment.

"Thank you, I love it," I said quietly. He cleared his throat nervously and I stood back, realizing that the hug was probably a little awkward for him. A blush fills my cheeks as I settle down on the blanket, motioning for him to sit with me.

"We should eat, before it goes to waste," I insist, eager to get past the awkwardness. He quickly takes his place across from me, and we dig into our food.

"So, how's your summer lookin' so far?" he asked with a mouthful of bread.

"Well, I have a two week long team camp this month, a one week long officer camp next month, and practice four days a week throughout august. Plus, we're doing a few fundraisers like carwashes and stuff in august when the weather is at it's clearest, and about two weeks before school starts I have to start meeting with the student council officers to set up the blood drives and things like that. Oh, and I'm scheduled to work four days a week at the library throughout the whole summer," I finished. Edward watched me for a moment with wide eyes.

"Um, what about you?" I asked. He swallowed a mouthful of food and cleared his throat, chuckling a little.

"I'm hanging out on the lake, and maybe helping my grandpa give a few tours," he said with a shrug. "I think you got the short end of the stick, Bells," he laughed. I couldn't help but join him, his smile was so infectious.

"Yeah, well, at least I have Alice to keep me company through all of it. Emmett's going on vacation with his family, and when he gets back he has football almost every day, so we probably won't see much of him," I shrugged.

"I really wish you could be here," I added quietly. Edward smiled sadly at me and nodded his head.

"Me too, Bells," he whispered. "We'll just have to make up for it when I get back," he grinned. "Oh wait," his smile faltered, "we won't. Because you still have dance team and student council and choir and school and work..." he trailed off, laughing at his own joke. I through a piece of bread at him with a glare, and caught it in the air before stuffing it in his mouth with a smile. His laughing finally quieted, and he looked up at me with a serious expression.

"I really am gonna miss you, Bells," he promised. My eyes began to water instantly, and I broke eye contact to keep him from noticing.

"Me too," I whispered. We were quiet for a minute before he rose to his feet and led me into his room, where his dvd player was set up and waiting to play a slew of our favorite movies. I plopped down next to him leaning against his headboard while he pushed play, and we spent the rest of the night reciting the lines and laughing hysterically.

"Bells, it's time to wake up." My eyes blinked open slowly at the sound of his voice, and I stretched out in his bed with a yawn. I sat up carefully and looked around myself, getting my bearings. He chuckled softly from beside me and I noticed that he was already dressed and ready, and a change of clothes was waiting on the bed next to me. I stumbled out of the covers and grabbed the clothes, heading off to the bathroom to get ready.

Half an hour later, I was dressed with my teeth brushed and my hair in a ponytail, and I trudged slowly down the stairs to the kitchen. Edward was seated at the breakfast bar with a plate of food, and Esme sat another one down at the seat next to him as I entered the room.

"Good morning, Bella," she sang cheerily. I smiled groggily back with a little wave, and flopped into my chair with a sigh. Edward nudged me with his elbow in lieu of a greeting, since his mouth was currently filled with pancakes and sausage, and I nodded my head in return. Esme quickly excused herself to get ready, and a few minutes later, both she and Carlisle entered the kitchen, ready to head out.

"Are you kids ready to go?" Carlisle asked, slipping his cell phone into his pocket. Edward and I both nodded our heads, setting our dishes in the sink then turning to leave. We all piled into Carlisle's Mercedes, and headed toward Seattle.

With only a few hours of sleep last night, there was no way I would make it through the whole drive. I quickly resigned myself to this fact, and laid down sideways across the backseat, my head in Edward's lap. He laid his jacket over me as a blanket, and ran his fingers steadily through my hair, lulling me to sleep in no time. It felt like only minutes had passed when we pulled up in front of the airport, and Edward woke me from my nap.

"We're here," he smiled sadly, climbing out to help his dad pull his luggage out of the trunk. I frowned grumpily and slid out of the car, crossing my arms across my chest like a child. Edward chuckled at my actions, but slung his free arm across my shoulders as the four of us walked inside. It took forever to get Edward checked in, but eventually we were all standing outside the security checkpoint, both Esme and I on the verge of tears.

Carlisle gave his son a quick hug, checking to make sure he had everything he needed before wishing him a safe flight. Esme was next. She sobbed quietly into his shoulder, holding on to him for dear life, begging him to call when he switched planes and when he finally landed. Now it was my turn.

I stepped forward awkwardly, fighting desperately against the tears that wanted to escape. Edward reached up to my cheek, his thumb wiping away a single tear that had managed to fall. His simple touch broke open the floodgates. I launched myself into his arms, wrapping my own around his neck in a choke-hold, and sobbed into the bend in his neck. He held me back just as tight, whispering promises to be back soon into my shoulder. We stood this way for what felt like hours, neither of us wanting to break our hold, until his boarding call echoed through the P.A. system.

"I gotta go, Bells," he whispered, gently pulling back from me. He reached up to cradle my tear-soaked face in his hands, using the pads of his thumbs to dry it, and smiled down at me sadly. I sucked in a shuddering breath, nodding my head in agreement, then pulled him into one last hug.

"I miss you already," I mumbled, laughing at my behavior. He chuckled with me, then stepped back to place a gently kiss on my forehead.

"I miss you too," he said. "Um, I have something for you," he said, suddenly nervous. I cocked my head to the side as he pulled something out of his pocket, slipping it into my hands. It was a small silver cell phone, and I looked up at him in confusion.

"I've been working on people's computers in my free time for the last few months so I could get you this. And don't say you can't accept it, because I already had it added to my plan and activated. My number's programmed in there, so just call or text me anytime you want, okay?" he asked. I was silent for a moment before I smiled up at him, hugging him one last time and placing a quick kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you," I said. He smiled back and me, then waved at all three of us sadly, turning to enter the line for security. Esme stepped up to my side and wrapped an arm around me, and the two of us cried silently together as he crossed through to the other side, tossing us one final wave before disappearing down the hallway.

"He'll be back before you know it," Carlisle promised, putting an arm around each of us and steering us back toward the parking lot. I sat quietly in the back of the car on the way home, staring out at the scenery as it passed us by.

Eleven weeks. I just had to make it through eleven weeks, then Edward would be home. The tiny silver phone chirped in my hands, and I smiled as I flipped it open to display the text.

_I'll be home soon, love E._

**A/N: Awww, so what did ya think? The next three chapters will cover Bella's summer, and I'll throw in a chapter from EPOV at some point too. A lot's going to happen, so make sure you keep reading!**


	6. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are the sole property of Stephanie Meyers.

**A/N: This chapter is gonna cover the first part of Bella's summer. Nothing too major yet, but necessary to pave the road. R&R plz!**

Chapter 5

**BPOV**

"I...am...exhausted!" Alice wheezed, plopping down on the floor beside me. I handed her a bottle of water without talking. To talk you had to be able to breathe, and I lost the ability to breathe about an hour ago.

We were one week into our dance camp. Our schedule consisted of waking up at 5:30 a.m. every morning, running two miles, going to breakfast, doing toning exercises, running two more miles, learning a routine, going to lunch, learning another routine, practicing and perfecting both routines, going to dinner, performing our routines for the camp judges, attending team building exercises, and going to bed around 11:30 pm. Then, of course, we would repeat this schedule the next day.

We had survived the first week somehow, and today was the first day of our second and last week. I have never been this tired in my entire life. Every muscle in my body ached to the point that they were almost numb. Even perky little Alice ran out of energy at some point during the week. Of course, I must say, all of this exercise has done wonders for my body.

My daily motivation was my contact with Edward. Since both of our schedules were pretty crazy, we settled for texting on most days. But those little messages scattered throughout the day kept my energy level high, and pushed me to keep going until the next one came through. It was absolutely ridiculous how much I missed him at this point. I was down to eight weeks. Just eight more weeks, and he'd be back in Forks.

"Let's go, ladies! These routines aren't going to learn themselves!" Alice and I groaned in unison as we crawled to our feet, jogging over to where our time was gathering in front of an instructor. I forced myself to push thoughts of Edward aside and focus on the moves, committing every step to memory.

Hours later, I collapsed onto my single mattress, the springs groaning in protest. Alice had claimed the bunk under mine, and I mumbled a 'thank you' when she reached up to hand me my phone. The screen lit up to reveal a message from Edward, and I smiled in spite of my fragile state.

_Miss ya 3 ~E_

Beneath the text was a picture of the lake from his grandparents balcony, the sun glittering like diamonds on the surface of the water. I saved the picture to my phone, then sent him a message in return, with a picture of Alice passed out on her bed, mouth hanging wide open. I giggled at the thought of how mad Alice would be if she knew I had taken that picture, then I quickly fell to sleep.

The next few days dragged on in much the same manner: draining my body of every ounce of energy, texting Edward in my rare moments of free time, and jumping on every chance of sleep I could get. On our final day, the camp staff announced that it was a free day, allowing us to mingle with other campers and make use of the multiple swimming pools and water slides. Alice and I practically threw the other girls out of our way in our haste to change into our swimsuits and dive into the pool. The cool water felt heavenly on our skin, and we were sad when they announced the end of our stay at the camp.

The next few weeks passed rather uneventfully, filled with work at the library, sleepovers with Alice, and trips to La Push with my dad. My parents had been acting strangely ever since their trip to Seattle. My mom was practically giddy all the time, humming to herself and dancing around the house as if under some kind of spell. My dad, in contrast, was more sullen than I'd ever seen him. He watched my mom warily, and rarely spoke to either of us.

On our trips to La Push he would remain silent, running off to go down to the lake with Billy as soon as we parked, leaving me to Jake. After our first little visit I tried to avoid any more when at all possible. Jake was a nice guy, but he just couldn't grasp the concept of friendship. I felt like I was constantly having to reiterate our status as 'just friends', and keep a minimum of two feet of space between us at all times.

I was ridiculously excited when the time came to leave for my officer camp, just to be out of my house. Our coach rented a large passenger van to transport us all, and Alice and I shared the backseat, a bag of snacks and magazines between us. This camp would be much less strenuous than our last. It was only a week long, and while we would be learning a few dances to take back to our teams, most of our time would be spent learning how to make our team stronger. The downside was the girls we were stuck with.

Lauren Mallory and Jessica Stanley were our co-captains, two girls who definitely were not big fans of me. I'm not sure why they hated me, exactly, but they didn't try to hide their disdain. The fifth officer on our team was Leah Clearwater. She had transferred to Forks High from the reservation school so she could participate on our team, and although I will admit she is a very talented dancer, she's also not 'team Bella'. Again, I'm not sure how I earned her animosity, but there doesn't seem to be anything I can do about it.

The first few days of our camp went smoothly; well, for the most part. Lauren, Jess, and Leah didn't even bother trying to hide their dislike for me, but Alice and I had a blast together. We were split into groups, the three of them in one group and Alice and I in the other, and sent to separate teachers to learn more routines. There was only one slight conflict on the second to last day at camp.

"So Bella, is it true what they say?" I looked at Lauren questioningly and she smiled to her friends before continuing. "You know, that nerds do it better?" The three hyenas cackled at her poor attempt to insult me, and I rolled my eyes at them.

"Knock it off, Lauren," I sighed. I turned to head over to the cafeteria with Alice, but the three girls followed us.

"Was that a yes? Or a no? Because if you don't want him, maybe one of us can take him off your hands," she giggled. I clenched my teeth and whirled around to face her, fighting to keep my hands at my sides.

"Not that it's any of your business, but Edward and I are just friends," I growled, the words stinging my heart as I said them. "And leave him the hell alone; he's too good for any of you."

"Wow, Bella, that sounds like jealousy to me," she sang in her nasally voice. "Are you scared someone else is gonna get to pop your little nerd's cherry?" she laughed. I glared furiously at her, willing myself not to break her plastic little nose.

"Shut the fuck up, Lauren," Alice spat beside me. Lauren widened her eyes in mock offense bringing her hand up dramatically to rest on her chest.

"I didn't mean to upset you. I'm just trying to do my duty as an American citizen," she said innocently. "I mean, it just wouldn't be fair to send him out to face the world like that," she explained. I stepped closer to her, leaving just a few inches of space between us.

"I'd be careful if I were you, Lauren. It would be a shame for you to lose your spot on the team," I warned. She rolled her eyes and laughed with her little followers.

"Bella, you're the colonel of a high school dance team, not God," she cackled. I smiled tightly at her, narrowing my eyes.

"I'm number one in our class, student body president, class president, colonel of this team, daughter of the chief of police, and every teacher's favorite student, including our principal. If I want you off this team, you will be." Her eyes widened for a moment then narrowed into angry little slits.

"Whatever, Bella, learn to take a joke," she muttered, turning to leave. Her sidekicks hurried behind her, the three of them disappearing into the cafeteria. I took a moment to calm my breathing and steady my heart, then led Alice into the building behind them. They sat on the opposite end of the room that day, a wise choice on their parts.

The rest of the week passed quickly, and we were home before we knew it. Alice and I practically moved into Edward's house over the next two weeks, roping Esme into helping us plan fundraisers and decide which order we would use our new routines in. We spent hours setting up our fundraisers and decorating banners for our first pep rally and game, and making a list of supplies to get for the "good luck" baskets we made for every football player on their first game day of the season. It was stuff that probably could have been put off until later, but I was desperate for a distraction from Edward's absence. There were still four weeks left until he would return, but it felt like an eternity.

I walked home from the Cullens' on a Saturday afternoon, trying to come up with more ways to occupy my time. My dad didn't have to go in to the station today; maybe I could convince him to go to the diner with me, or even, God forbid, to La Push. As I trailed up my porch, that feeling of dread returned to the pit of my stomach.

I stopped in my tracks, my hand positioned over the doorknob, my heart in my throat. The knob turned slowly in my hand, the door feeling much heavier than I remembered. It swung open silently, and I pushed it closed behind me, leaning against it as I took in the front room. The T.V. was off, not too weird, as were all of the lights. The house was eerily quiet, and my shoes echoed off the walls and ceiling ominously while I walked toward the kitchen. The soft glow from the ceiling fixture was spread across the hardwood at the doorway, and I stepped through into the room.

My parents were sitting across from one another, neither making eye contact with each other or me. My dad's face held a mixture of fury, nausea, and grief, while my mom looked...happy?

"Bella," my mother started, delicately clearing her throat, "why don't you have a seat? Your father and I have something we want to talk to you about." I looked to my dad when he snorted, still keeping his eyes locked on the opposite wall.

"Don't bring me into this," he spat. "This one's all you." I slid into the chair between them slowly, looking back and forth at their faces. My dad reached over and put his hand on top of mine without making eye contact, and I suppressed the shudder of fear that coursed through me.

"Bella, honey, your father and I have talked, and we've decided to get a divorce," she started, her words causing my heart to freeze in my chest. "We don't want you to think of this as a bad thing. We agree that it's what's best for us all," she finished. My dad cursed under his breath, his hand tightening on mine, and finally looked up into her eyes.

"Don't pull that crap, Renee!" he fumed. "This was your decision, not mine. You're the one that wants permission to fuck around. You're the one that wants to abandon us. You're the one that caused all of this. Don't you dare try to justify yourself to Bella. She's a big girl, Renee. Tell her the truth," he yelled. My eyes widened to the point that it was painful and my mouth dropped open in disbelief.

She was leaving us? She cheated on dad? They're splitting up?

"Bella," my mom sighed, smiling at me like nothing had happened. "I met someone. I love him so much, and I just know that we're meant to be together. You understand, don't you? Don't you want me to be happy?" she asked. She placed her hand gently on my free one, and I jerked it back reflexively, standing so fast that my chair tipped backwards on the linoleum.

"What?! Do I want you to be_ happy_? Yes, I want you to be happy! I want you to be happy with _us_, your _family_!" I shouted, causing her to flinch. "Why aren't we good enough for you? What did I do wrong?" I sobbed. Her smile softened into a look of pity, and she shook her head sadly.

"Oh, honey, you didn't do anything wrong. This life just isn't_ right _for me," she explained. "I never wanted to settle down and have kids. When we found out we were pregnant with you, I went through with it for your father's sake, because I knew that's what he wanted. But deep down, I always knew that there was something wrong, that this wasn't the life that I was meant for. I'm too much of a free spirit to be tied down, and Phil understands that," she finished. She rose to her feet and reached out to hug me, but I backed away from her shaking my head.

"You never wanted me? I was just a _mistake_ to you?" I asked incredulously. "What the hell is so bad about me? What could I have possibly done to deserve this? I'm a straight A student, I never get in trouble here at home or at school, all of my teachers love me, I have so many extracurriculars that I can hardly breathe, and all I wanted in return was for you and dad to be proud of me. And now, you tell me it was all for nothing? That none of it mattered? Because you never wanted me to begin with?" I pressed.

"Oh, Bella," she sighed, stepping toward me once more.

"No!" I shouted, tears pouring down my face. "Don't touch me. You have no right to touch me!" I cried, turning and flying out of the room. I ignored my father's cries as I took the stairs two at a time, locking the door to my room then launching myself onto my balcony and into the treehouse. I collapsed on the floor and curled up in a ball, wrapping myself in the blanket that Edward had left up here from our dinner at the beginning of the summer. I sat in the treehouse and cried for hours, finally giving in to exhaustion, and drifting off to sleep.

**A/N: Sooo, too much? Lol the next chapter will be EPOV of his summer, then we'll get back to poor Bella, I promise! Lemme know what you think =D**


	7. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are the sole property of Stephanie Meyers.

**A/N: Now it's time to see what Edward's been up to this summer. I promise I'll get back to Bella next, so hang in there! R&R plz :)**

Chapter 6

**EPOV**

My jaw was aching as I sat on the plane, taxiing down the runway. I had practically ground my teeth down to their roots in my effort not to cry. Seeing Bella like that, face tear-streaked and crumpled in pain, almost killed me. She clung to me like I was her life raft, and she couldn't live without me. A part of me was overjoyed to know that she cared for me that deeply, but a larger part was dying to comfort her.

I couldn't truly appreciate the beauty of my grandparents' lake house when I first arrived. I glanced at my phone every few seconds, not wanting to miss a single call or message from Bella. But shortly after I arrived, my grandfather put me to work. It was tourist season, and their lake touring schedule was completely booked. I would be helping my grandfather give the tours during the day, and scrubbing down the boats at night with the other workers. They had six boats in all, so I had my work cut out for me.

I went into town one morning and got a part-time job in the fish market in the mornings, helping to clean and package the previous day's catch. It was a lot to take on, but I needed to keep my mind busy if I was going to make it through the summer.

By the end of my first week, I was ready to die. I was beginning to regret all of those hours spent in front of my computer screen instead of playing sports like most guys my age. The work was definitely tiring, but for me it was nearly impossible. Quitting wasn't an option though, not unless I wanted to sulk for the next two and a half months, so I soldiered through it. It didn't take long before the work started getting easier. Or maybe, the work was the same, but I was getting stronger. This belief was quickly proven true, as I noticed my clothes no longer fitting me. Apparently this was my summer of growth, since my pants were only reaching the tops of my ankles and my t-shirts seemed to become more child-sized every week. My grandmother jumped at the opportunity to go shopping, bringing me back an entirely new wardrobe.

As I got better at my jobs, they ended much faster, and I had a lot more free time. I followed my grandfather around like a lapdog, eager for anything to keep me busy. I spent hours rebuilding piers and decks, scrubbing barnacles off the bottom of boats, learning how to sail, and doing anything else he was willing to teach me.

My previous hatred for the sun and anything outdoors began to melt away, and I actually began to enjoy the fresh air. At the end of my first month there, my grandmother put together a barbecue for me and all of their staff. After we had eaten some of the guys my age started kicking a soccer ball around the yard, and I asked them to teach me. I had always thought I was too uncoordinated to play sports, but maybe that's because I never really tried. The sport seemed to come naturally to me, and I played with the guys well into the night.

Despite my busy schedule, I still longed for any contact with Bella. I laughed quietly in my bed at night as I read texts about their grueling workouts and camp stories, and the many embarrassing pictures of Alice she had managed to capture. I nearly fell off the boat one afternoon when Alice commandeered her phone and sent me a shot of Bella climbing out of the pool in her bikini, drops of water clinging to her smooth, porcelain skin. Let's just say that picture lasted me _well_ into my next month.

I sighed heavily after reading Bella's most recent text. For the last week or so, her texts had been pretty basic: "I'm doing fine", "we miss you", "hurry home", etc...They lacked any of the detail and humor that her previous messages had held. I continued to tell her about my days, snapping pictures of anything I thought she would like to see, or things that I wish she could be here to see with me.

I had only spoken with her over the phone once this past week, and she hadn't sounded like herself. Of course, she insisted that everything was fine, and that she just missed me. My parents weren't much help, insisting that if she said she was fine then I shouldn't keep bothering her about it; if something was wrong, she would tell me herself.

I rolled out of my bed and ran my hand through my hair in frustration as I stumbled down the steps, my nose and empty stomach leading me straight to the kitchen. I entered the large room to find my grandmother pulling dinner out of the oven, humming quietly to herself. It was remarkable how much she and my mother had in common. They had the same soft features, and loving eyes; my grandmother's previously caramel-colored hair had long since turned gray, but I could still see the young beauty she was when she and my grandfather met.

"Well, are you just going to stand there and watch me, or are you going to help?" she asked without turning around. I chuckled and walked over to her, taking out plates and silverware to set the little table that was nestled in front of the bay window off to the side of the room.

"Who is she?" she asked. I stopped what I was doing, and turned to look at her, my eyebrows scrunched in confusion. She swiveled her head around to look at me expectantly, rolling her eyes when she saw my expression.

"Don't play dumb, Edward," she chastised. "I want to know who this girl is that you've been hung up on all summer," she insisted. I opened and closed my mouth a few times, looking a lot like the fish I helped package every morning.

"How'd you know?" I asked incredulously. She chuckled softly, the sound like music, and shook her head at me.

"I may be old, but I'm not blind," she clicked her tongue. "You wouldn't even talk to us your first week here, you were in such a bad mood. Then you carried that darn phone with you everywhere, checking it constantly like it's going to provide you with all of the secrets to life. And the closer we get to the end of your stay, the more your mood improves," she looked at me disapprovingly.

"Now, I know that's not because you're ready to be away from us," she smirked, "but I'm equally sure it's because you've got some luck girl waiting back home for you. I've given you all summer to bring her up, but since you don't seem inclined to, I'll start the conversation for you. Now, who is she?" she demanded. I sighed heavily and plopped down onto the bench seat.

"Her name's Bella," I said wistfully. My grandmother stopped stirring whatever she had on the stove, and turned to face me with wide eyes.

"You mean Isabella Swan? Charlie Swan's girl?" she pressed. I tilted my head to the side but nodded slowly in confirmation.

"Yeah, how'd you know?" I asked. She stayed quiet for a moment, a small smile appearing on her lips before she shook her head and started stirring her pot again.

"Well, I'll be..." she trailed off. "That mother of yours was right," she laughed.

"Um...excuse me?" I asked, completely lost. She turned off the burner and brought the pan over to the table, ladling potato and bacon soup into the three bowls I had set out.

"The day little Bella Swan was born, your mother called me and told me that the two of you were going to get married some day. She was absolutely positive," she chuckled. "She said the two of you would scream to high heaven if they tried to separate you, even as newborns, and that it was a sign for your futures. I told her she was crazy, and that she needed to worry about getting through your teen years before she started planning a wedding." I stared at her in disbelief, not sure how to respond to that.

"So, tell me about Bella," she prompted. "What's she like?" A slow smile crept onto my face, and I settled into my seat.

"She's brilliant, and funny...the nicest person I've ever met, and absolutely breathtaking. She's the girl every other girl wants to be, and every guy wants, but she doesn't even realize it. She loves to cook and read, and she's an amazing dancer. And her voice," I sighed, "Grandma, her voice could make angel's cry. She's my best friend, and she's perfect," I finished. When I pulled myself out of my reverie and looked up, my grandma had tears and her eyes, and my grandfather was standing in the doorway to the kitchen, a smirk on his face.

"Oh, Edward, that was so sweet," my grandma cried, wiping at her cheeks. My grandfather walked over to the table and took the seat across from me while my grandma grabbed her homemade dinner rolls and brought them over to the table.

"So, Edward," my grandfather started, "how long have the two of you been dating?" I cleared my throat, suddenly uncomfortable, and looked down at the table.

"Um, we're not," I said. "Dating, I mean." The room was silent for a few seconds, before my grandma spoke up.

"And why the hell not?" My eyes snapped up to meet hers, and she was furious.

"Well, for all of the reasons I just told you. She's perfect grandma, and I'm just...well...me. We're friends, that's all," I shrugged, overcome by sadness.

"Bullshit." My eyes widened as I turned to my grandfather, his face completely at ease.

"What?" I asked, sure I had misheard him.

"I said 'bullshit'." I looked to my grandmother, who was wearing an angry expression which was pointed directly at me, then back to my grandfather.

"Why the hell shouldn't she like you?" he demanded. "I don't deny that she's all those things you said. If she's Charlie Swan's daughter, than I'm sure it's all true. But I don't buy for a minute that she's any better than you. You're a good man, Edward. You're smart, musically gifted, funny, mature, motivated, a technological genius, and pretty damn good-looking to boot," he insisted. I snorted at the last part, and he frowned down at me, daring me to contradict him.

"Edward, if you love this girl half as much as I think you do, then you owe it to her to tell her how you feel. Don't you think a girl that perfect deserves someone that will love her with every ounce of their being? And who else can love her as much as you do?" he asked. I stared at him, wide-eyed, not sure what to say.

"I-I guess I never really thought about it that way," I stuttered. He nodded his head once, signaling the end of his part in the conversation, and my grandmother smirked at me over her soup.

Two weeks later, I was on-board another airplane, on my way home. I couldn't stop the butterflies that had settled in my stomach at the thought of seeing Bella again, and being back in her arms. Leaving Massachusetts had been bittersweet. I had grown much closer to my grandparents over the summer, and I was going to miss spending all of my time on the lake. I was definitely going to miss my grandmother, especially. After our 'talk' at the dinner table, she had insisted on seeing a picture of Bella, "just to see how much she's grown". I pulled one of my favorites up on my laptop, and her hand instantly connected with the back of my head.

"What was that for?" I cried, rubbing my already throbbing skull.

"A girl that pretty isn't going to wait around forever. Someday, someone else is going to see what a catch she is and snatch her up, and you're going to be kicking yourself for letting her slip through your fingers," she scolded. "Besides," she said with a smile, "the two of you will make beautiful children," she giggled. I rolled my eyes as a blush filled my cheeks, quickly closing out of the picture.

I smiled to myself as the Seattle skyline came into view outside my window. Bella was down there, in that very city, waiting to welcome me home. My grin widened as the plane's wheels touched the tarmac. I'm finally home.

**A/N: Yay!!! Okay, don't get your hopes up just yet. The next chapter is about the end of Bella's summer, and how things are going with her family. THEN I'll cover the two love birds' reunion. Don't hate me! I'll post it soon, I promise!**


	8. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are the sole property of Stephanie Meyers.

**A/N: Alrighty, it's time to get back to Bella. I'm gonna wrap up her summer, then we'll move on to the reunion. R&R plz :)**

Chapter 7

**BPOV**

I woke up with a throbbing pain down my spine. My eyes slowly cracked open, and I took in my surroundings. I was in the tree-house. No wonder my back was stiff; I had fallen asleep on the wooden floor. Untwisting myself from the blanket, I stretched my arms out, then rubbed my eyes with the backs of my hands. My eyelashes were sticking together, and I scrubbed at them furiously until they freed themselves.

Then it dawned on my _why_ my eyelashes were stuck together. I had been crying. Because of my mom. She was having an affair, and she had filed for divorce. She was leaving us.

"Bella, honey? Is that you?" I turned my head at the sound of Esme's worried voice, wincing when my neck refused to twist.

"Hi, Esme," I greeted her weekly. I could see her standing on Edward's balcony, concern written all over her face.

"What are you doing out here, sweetie? Did you sleep out here? Oh, honey, please, come inside," she urged me, waving me in with her hand. I stood slowly and climbed onto Edward's balcony, falling immediately into her arms. Fresh tears sprang into my eyes at the scent of her familiar perfume, and I completely fell apart in her embrace.

"Oh, my," she murmured. "Bella, what's wrong? Are you hurt? What is it?" she cried desperately, holding me tight to her chest.

"My—mom—has—a—boyfriend—and—she's—leaving—my—dad—and—she—never—wanted—me!" I wailed between sobs.

"Oh, Bella," Esme sighed, leading me into Edward's room. She wrapped an arm around my shoulders and guided me slowly downstairs, straight to Carlisle's office. She placed me gently on his couch and he crossed the room to sit next to me, holding me while she left to get some tea. A few minutes later, my sobs had quieted and Esme had returned with glasses of tea for each of us. She set her tray down on an end table and pulled a chair up in front of me, stroking my hair lovingly.

"Bella, why don't you tell us what happened," she encouraged, smiling gently. I took a deep breath, and launched into my story. I told them every detail, every single word. Somehow I managed to keep my tears at bay throughout my tale, desperately needing to get it all off my chest. When I finally finished, I let out a deep breath, and looked up at two furious sets of eyes.

"Who the hell does she think she is!" Esme screeched, jumping out of her chair and pacing back and forth.

"How dare she talk to you like that! She's an idiot if she doesn't realize you're the best thing that's ever happened in her life! Well you know what? Good riddance! You don't need her, and Charlie sure as hell doesn't either. It's her loss!" Her eyes were boiling with rage, her tiny little fists clenched at her sides. My eyes had widened in shock, and I turned them now to Carlisle, who was barely containing himself on the couch beside me.

"Esme, dear," he said through clenched teeth, "take a deep breath. You're just going to upset her more," he growled. My mouth dropped open at his tone. I had never seen Carlisle lose his cool. _Ever_.

"Oh, Bella, I'm so sorry!" Esme cried, rushing over to hug me again. "I know you don't want to sit here and listen to me rant. Why don't you go upstairs and take a bath in Edward's room, and I'll make you something to eat when you get out." She leaned over to kiss me on the forehead, then glided out of the room. Carlisle and I rose at the same time, and he pulled me into a tight hug.

"You don't listen to a word Renee said, Bella. You are a smart, talented, beautiful young lady, and I'd be glad to have you as my daughter," he said. My eyes began to water once more, and I murmured a 'thank you' before rushing upstairs to take a bath.

I spent the next few days at the Cullens' house. I wasn't ready to go home and face my mom yet. I felt terrible that I had basically abandoned my dad, leaving him all alone with her, but Esme assured me that she had spoken with him and he understood completely. I finally went back to my house at the end of the week, but I refused to speak to my mother. It was one thing to grow out of love with someone, and decide that the two of you would happier apart. But what she did was completely unacceptable. I don't know if I will ever be able to forgive her.

My dad was trying to stay strong for me. But I could tell he was hurting; his muted cries rang out through the house late at night, breaking me apart inside. I wanted to comfort him, to assure him that we'd be just fine without her, but I had no idea how. He left at dawn every morning, staying out at the station and patrolling until late into the evening. On his off days he disappeared to La Push, fishing his cares away. I tried not to be too offended by it; I knew he was just avoiding Renee, trying to keep his head on straight. But I couldn't help feeling like I was being thrown to the sharks.

Renee spent her days wandering around the house, dancing and singing to music only she could hear, acting like she didn't have a care in the world. There were boxes everywhere, since she had already started packing her things. Her boyfriend, Phil, was coming in a few weeks with a U-Haul to load everything up and take her with him. Apparently he had a condo in Florida, and was a pitcher for the Jacksonville Suns. Everything seemed to be working out perfectly for her.

The hardest part of this whole thing was keeping it from Edward. He called me that day, excitedly describing to me his first attempt at soccer, and the barbecue his grandparents had thrown. He went on and on about how beautiful the lake was, and how badly he wanted me to see it, then he told me all about the guys he worked with. He just sounded so happy, and like he was having so much fun. I couldn't ruin that for him. My family's drama would still be here when he got back, and I wanted him to enjoy his vacation as much as possible.

With my dad pulling a disappearing act, and Edward on the other side of the country, I was in dire need of a distraction. I was sick of trying to tiptoe around Renee all day, avoiding her at all costs. My first instinct was to run to Alice. I spent three nights in a row at her house, spilling my guts to her about everything that had happened. She reacted just like I expected her too: I had to physically hold her back from running over to my house and ripping Renee's hair out. Once I finally calmed her down, she helped me relax like only Alice can. Armed with every junk food known to man, we settled in for three nights' worth of chick flicks. We laughed, and cried, and shared our deepest secrets, all while giving each other manicures and pedicures. Alice, of course, got me to admit my feelings for Edward.

"I don't see why you won't just tell him," she shrugged, like it was the simplest thing in the world. I stared at her like she had two heads, not believing how easy she thought this was.

"Are you kidding me? He's _Edward_. _Edward_! I can't just_ tell_ him. What if he doesn't feel the same way? We've been best friends our entire lives, Alice. I can't risk that. I just can't," I crossed my arms and nodded my head emphatically. Alice sighed and rolled her little eyes.

"Bella, trust me. I've seen the way Edward looks at you, and he's not going to shoot you down. The two of you were _meant_ to be together, and the sooner you both realize that, the happier everyone will be. So quit being a chicken-shit, and tell that beautiful boy you love him," she giggled. I rolled my eyes but couldn't keep from laughing.

We jumped into dance practice and student council the next week, and I quickly ran out of free time once more. What little time I wasn't in practice, meetings, or work, I spent with the Cullens. I finally made it back to my house the day before Edward was due to come home, and even then it was only to pack a bag so I could stay in his room. The Cullen house had always been a second home to me, but it become more than that over the last few weeks. It was my sanctuary now. I crawled into Edward's bed that night, falling asleep quickly with his scent surrounding me.

I was awoken early the next morning by Esme's gentle voice. I rolled over to face her, inhaling the fragrance wrapped in the sheets. When I was able to pry my eyes open, I found Esme perched on the side of the bed, smiling softly down at me.

"Wake up, sweetie," she murmured. "We need to get going so we can pick Edward up from the airport." As soon as the words left her mouth, my eyes shot open and bolted upright in bed. She chuckled at my enthusiasm, and left me to get dressed, my head spinning in circles.

Edward was coming home! Today! I squealed excitedly, launching myself out of the bed. I yanked my clothes out of my bag, stripping down to my underwear and redressing faster than I ever had in my life. I hurried to the bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth, quickly pulling my brush through my hair to tame it. I hopped around the room trying to tug my shoes on, eventually falling to the floor in my haste. Once I was dressed and ready, I grabbed my purse and phone and raced down the stairs, sliding into the kitchen wild-eyed and out of breath.

Carlisle shook his head, a large smile on his face, and Esme simply smirked and slid me a plate of eggs, bacon, and toast. I inhaled my food, barely even tasting it, then scrubbed my plate down and set it in the drying rack by the sink. I turned to Esme and Carlisle, only to find them smiling at each other, hidden messages being relayed through their eyes. I watched them warily, and they finally stood when they noticed me.

"Well, I guess we better get going." Carlisle tossed his newspaper on the kitchen table and walked slowly over to the entryway, picking up his phone, wallet, and keys. Esme swayed quietly behind him, slipping her purse onto her shoulder while I bounced impatiently behind them.

"Relax, Bella. His plane is going to land at the same time, regardless of how early we get there," Carlisle chuckled. My frown only caused him to laugh more, but I ignored his words and rushed over to their car, sliding into the backseat and strapping in. After what felt like hours, they finally reached the car, and Carlisle backed smoothly out of the driveway. Within minutes we were out of Forks city limits, and on our way to Seattle.

I tried desperately to fall asleep, wanting the car ride to pass more quickly, but to no avail. My excitement had me wound up, completely full of energy. I counted the number of cars we passed, listened to some music, and even played the alphabet game in my head, but nothing helped. The trip dragged on for hours, and felt much longer than it actually was.

Just when I had become convinced that we must have gotten lost, the sign for the airport appeared before us. Carlisle followed the lane all the way up to the short-term parking lot, and I flung my door open as soon as he parked. I shifted my weight from foot to foot, wishing they would move faster. I nearly screamed when Esme said she needed to stop and use the restroom. We finally made it to the entrance to his terminal, and I felt my stomach jump into my throat.

I clutched Esme's hand tightly in my own, and strained my eyes to search through the crowd. I looked at every face that passed me, searching in earnest for that familiar disheveled head of hair. For my Edward.

**A/N: Please don't hate me =( I promise I will post the next chapter very soon! I had to leave you guys with a little bit of a cliffhanger =P Send me some reviews, and I'll update as soon as I can!**


	9. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are the sole property of Stephanie Meyers.

**A/N: Are you ready for the reunion? I couldn't decide which POV to use, so I did both. First is Bella's, then I'll repeat the whole thing with Edward. R&R plz :)**

Chapter 8

**BPOV**

The butterflies tripled in size as the minutes passed without any sign of Edward. I searched frantically, practically hyperventilating with my need to see him. Just when I thought I couldn't take it anymore, there he was. Or at least, it sort of looked like him.

His oddly colored hair was the first clue that it was him. It was a little longer, but still as beautiful and disheveled as ever. My eyes traveled down to his face, which had lost it's boyish shape. His brilliant green eyes were sparkling with excitement, no longer framed by thick black glasses, and his soft structure had hardened, revealing a firm jaw and just a hint of a five o'clock shadow. He had grown over the summer as well, that much was obvious. He had added almost five inches, standing at at least 6'1".

And he was bigger. Much bigger. His broad shoulders looked ridiculously strong, and while he wasn't bulky like Emmett, there was no denying that he was built. His arms, chest and legs looked firm and long, belying the muscle that laid beneath the skin. Blue jeans showcased his long legs beautifully, and the wording on his t-shirt was stretched across the planes of his chest. Oh yes, Edward had definitely grown up. My eyes were not the only part of my anatomy taking notice, either. I swallowed thickly, trying to gain control of myself.

I watched him nervously as he maneuvered his way through the crowd, not yet able to spot us. Esme held me firmly in place until she deemed him close enough for me to reach him safely. As soon as she released my hand, I bolted across the room, flying straight into his arms. He let out a grunt of surprise as I collided with his chest (definitely more toned than before), but quickly recovered and wrapped me in the tightest and warmest hug of my life.

I leaked tears of joy onto his shoulder, my legs suspended in air as he laughed into my neck. He finally set me back on my feet, but kept his arms on my waist, his eyes traveling over every inch of my face. After a lifetime of silence, he reached up with one large, calloused hand and swiped his thumb across my cheek, drying my silent tears.

"Why are you crying?" he whispered, his yes never leaving mine. I let out a watery chuckle and wiped my face, trying to make myself more presentable.

"I missed you so much," I answered. "Don't you ever leave me again," I laughed, still sniffling. He pulled me into another tight hug, cradling my head to his chest.

"Never," he murmured. With a gentle kiss on my forehead, he turned to greet his parents, who were watching quietly from a few feet away. As soon as he turned to them Esme flew across the small space, latching onto Edward like I had only minutes before.

"My baby!" she wailed, holding him close. She stepped back to look him over, her eyes widening to a comedic level.

"Oh my God, Edward! Look how much you've grown! I hardly recognized you!" she cried, squeezing him once again. Carlisle joined us then, pulling Edward into a loving embrace, then patting him on the back and stepping away, pulling Esme with him.

"Look at you," he marveled. "You grew into a man overnight," he chuckled. I clutched Edward's hand throughout the entire exchange, not willing to let him go. I felt like a child at his side, tilting my head all the way back to look at him. He glanced down at me, a deliciously crooked smile spreading across his lips, and let go of my hand to wrap an arm around my shoulders. We followed his parents quietly down to baggage claim, stealing glances at one another periodically.

Twenty minutes later, we were settled into the backseat of the car. Edward had both arms wrapped around me, and my head was resting lightly against his chest. We sat like this for the longest time, content just to be with one another again. Eventually he pulled away, putting one hand under my chin and tilting my face back so he could see it. He studied me carefully, running his fingertips first over the bruises that had formed beneath my eyes, then over the sharp points of my cheek bones and chin.

"You look so tired," he murmured, "and thin." He frowned at this, his tone angry. "Bella, what's wrong? What haven't you been telling me? You've been acting strangely for weeks...please, what is it?" His eyes were pleading, and I glanced to Carlisle and Esme for help. They were wrapped in their own little conversation, so I turned back to Edward, flinching at the sadness in his eyes.

"I promise, I'll tell you everything when we get home. For now, let me just enjoy having you back," I begged, placing a hand on his chest. I saw the inner debate in his eyes, and watched when he finally gave a defeated sigh, nodding in consent with a small smile. He leaned forward to press his lips to my forehead, taking a deep breath with his nose still pressed to my hair.

"I missed you," he whispered. "So much." I smiled softly, tilting my head back to look at him.

"I missed you too." I settled into his embrace, letting the rest of the world melt away, content in Edward's arms.

**EPOV**

I tapped my foot anxiously, straining my ears in expectation of the pilot's announcement. After what felt like hours, the speakers above my head finally crackled to life, and a smooth voice floated through them.

"_On behalf of Continental Airlines, I'd like to thank you for flying with us today. You may now exit the aircraft, starting with first class and working toward the back of the plane. Please exercise caution in removing items stored in the overhead bins, as they may have shifted during our descent. Have a nice day, and we wish you all save travels."_

I rose from my seat, quickly pulling my carry-on bag from the overhead compartment and slinging it over my shoulders, stepping out into the aisle to urge the other passengers forward. It felt like hours until I had finally exited the plane. I took advantage of my newly acquired height, and searched for breaks in the crowd to make my travel faster. I maneuvered through the hordes of people, breaking free of the terminal and scanning the faces frantically.

I was still searching the crowd when I was thrown backward, a small body strapped to my chest. I grunted in surprise, struggling to remain standing. Seconds later, the sweetest aroma of strawberries and freesia filled the air, and I wrapped my arms around the small woman reflexively. Bella's tears quickly soaked through my shirt, and I held her tightly as she sobbed and laughed into my neck. I chuckled both at her mixed emotions and at my pure joy in holding her in my arms.

Gently, I set Bella back on the ground, marveling at how small she seemed. She had always been petite, but she seemed to have shriveled up in my absence. There were dark circles under her eyes, and her ivory skin was washed out and void of her beautiful blush. Her features were sharper, her limbs thinner, and I wondered for the millionth time what she was hiding from me. But even with her worn appearance she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.

Her face was shiny with fresh tears, and I reached one hand up to smooth them from her cheeks.

"Why are you crying?" I whispered, holding her eyes with my own. She let out a watery chuckle, and scrubbed her face with the backs of her hands.

"I missed you so much," she cried. "Don't you ever leave me again," she chuckled lightly, still sniffling, and I crushed her to my chest in another hug. Just one look at that face and I knew I was done for; I was hers until she wished me away.

"Never," I promised, placing a kiss on her smooth forehead. I grudgingly turned to greet my parents, taring my eyes away from the beauty by my side.

No sooner had I turned than my mother threw herself into my arms. I caught her with my free arm, stopping us from toppling over, and laughed at her exuberance.

"My baby!" she wailed, holding me close. She stepped back to look me over, her eyes widening in shock.

"Oh my God, Edward! Look how much you've grown! I hardly recognized you!" she cried, squeezing me once again. I grinned down at her, then turned to greet my father. He pulled me into a warm embrace, patting me on the back and stepping away, taking my mother with him.

"Look at you," he said, awe in his voice. "You grew into a man overnight," he chuckled. I ducked my head in embarrassment from all of the attention, holding onto Bella's hand for dear life. Her tiny fingers were being swallowed by my hand.

She tilted her beautiful head back to look at me, and I grinned in response, wrapping my arm around her shoulders. We trailed behind my parents toward the baggage corrals, holding onto one another the whole way. I didn't know how she felt about me, but I wasn't going to give up this chance to hold her for anything in the world.

We quickly made our way out of the airport and Bella and I slid into the backseat of my dad's car, still clinging to each other. I wrapped both arms around her tiny frame, and she rested her delicate little head on my chest, causing my heart to soar. I sighed in contentment, taking deep breaths of her scent as we rode in silence. But despite my overwhelming joy at being close to Bella, my mind was still plagued with thoughts of her unhappiness.

Eventually I pulled away from her, grabbing her little chin in my hand and tilting her face back so I could look at her. I studied every line and shadow, each one ripping my heart open more than the last. I ran my fingertips lightly across her features, afraid the slightest pressure might cause her to shatter.

"You look so tired," I murmured, "and thin." I frowned at the thought of her not taking care of herself, wondering why she hadn't felt like she could share whatever it was with me.

"Bella, what's wrong? What haven't you been telling me? You've been acting strangely for weeks...please, what is it?" I begged, praying for her to open up to me. We had always been able to share everything with one another, and I wanted more than anything to take whatever burden she was carrying and shoulder it for her. She turned panicked eyes to my parents, but seeing them wrapped in their own conversation, she sighed in defeat.

"I promise, I'll tell you everything when we get home. For now, let me just enjoy having you back." My heart soared at the melodic sound of her voice, but simultaneously shattered at the pain it held. She placed a delicate hand on my chest, and I finally sighed, nodding my head in consent. Whatever it was, I couldn't force her to tell me. I would just have to give her time. I pressed another kiss to her forehead, savoring the taste of her skin.

"I missed you," I whispered. "So much." She smiled a peaceful smile, her former pain gone for the time being.

"I missed you too," she murmured, sincerity ringing through her words. She settled back into my arms, sighing in contentment, and quickly fell asleep.

**A/N: Soooo how did I do? Bella will tell Edward everything in the next chapter, so stay tuned!**


	10. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are the sole property of Stephanie Meyers.

**A/N: Here ya go, the big reveal! Bella's gonnna poor her little heart out to Edward. We'll see how he handles it =) R&R plz!**

Chapter 9

**EPOV**

Bella slept soundly on my lap throughout the remainder of our trip to Forks. I ran a hand through her thick chestnut locks, pondering what could have possibly gone wrong this summer.

Did one of her parents get hurt? No, she would have told me that. Did Lauren and her friends pull something? No, Bella's stronger than that. She wouldn't let them ruin her summer. Is she sick? This thought froze me in my tracks, causing my heart to seize in my chest. I pushed it aside, willing my lungs to continue to fill with air. I need to quit getting ahead of myself, and just wait for her to tell me.

As our car glided into the driveway, I gently ran the backs of my fingers from Bella's temple to her jaw, marveling at the silky texture of her skin.

"Bella, wake up," I said softly. "We're home." She blinked slowly, struggling to sit up as her eyelids forced themselves open. I brushed her hair away from her face, and took her hand as I slid out of the seat, pulling her to a standing position. My dad grabbed both of my suitcases, so I tossed my carry-on bag over my shoulder and led Bella toward her house. She stopped me after a few steps and looked up at me quizzically.

"Where are we going?" she asked, tilting her head to the side in the most adorable way.

"I'm walking you home," I frowned. Her eyes widened slightly and she whipped her head around to find my mom.

"Edward, honey, Bella's going to stay with us tonight," she told me. My brow knitted in confusion but I didn't argue, glad to be able to spend more time with her. We stumbled groggily up the porch steps and through the front door, all four of us congregating in the entryway.

"I think we're going to call it a night, son," my father stated, letting out a yawn. "You kids get some sleep; its' been a long day." He leaned forward to place a kiss on top of Bella's head, hugging her tightly for a minute and wishing her sweet dreams. He pulled me into a quick hug, then I watched him walk away, confused by the way he was acting. My mother stepped forward next, cradling Bella's face in her hands.

"You let me know if you need anything," she told her, placing a kiss on her forehead. She held her close, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment, before releasing her and turning to me.

"Edward, don't keep her up all night. Let her get some sleep," she warned. "I put some extra pillows in your room in case you need them, and there are fresh towels in your bathroom. And Bella, I left your toiletries on the edge of the sink." She gave me a kiss on the cheek then wished us goodnight, turning to follow my father up the stairs. I stood still for a moment, completely confused.

"You're sleeping in my room?" I asked. We had shared a bed many times, but that was before we hit puberty. Charlie had been adamant that even though we were 'just friends', it just wasn't right for teenage boys and girls to share a bed. So why the change in heart? Bella smiled sweetly at me and grabbed my hand, hauling me up the stairs.

Bella disappeared into the bathroom as soon as we reached my room, and I took the opportunity to drop my bags and get changed. I pulled off my clothes, and slipped into a pair of sleep pants and a t-shirt. Just as I was pulling out my toiletry bag, Bella opened the bathroom door and stepped out. My jaw hit the floor, and a certain part of my *cough* _anatomy _*cough* sprang to life. She padded barefoot across the room in a pair of tiny cotton shorts, with one of my t-shirts hanging off her frame. It was, by far, the sexiest thing I had ever seen.

"I hope you don't mind," she mumbled, that beautiful blush finally coloring her cheeks. "You're clothes are more comfortable than mine." She kept her eyes glued to the floor, and I was silent probably longer than I should have been.

"Um," I cleared my throat nervously, "no, I don't mind at all." My voice cracked on the last word, and I jumped to my feet, hurrying into the bathroom. I stared at my reflexion in the mirror for a few seconds, calming myself down, then quickly brushed my teeth and washed my face so I could get back to Bella.

When I walked back into the room, she was plugging her phone into its charger on the bedside table, sitting Indian-style on my bed. My heart skipped a beat, and I stumbled over to the bed, falling down beside her. I sat back against the headboard and hooked an arm around her waist, dragging her easily to my side before pulling the blankets over us.

"So..." I started, not sure where to start. It was quiet for a minute before Bella finally sighed, her warm breath fanning out across my chest.

"My parents are getting a divorce," she blurted out. I quickly pushed her back by the shoulders, staring straight into her eyes. Her face was void of emotion.

"What?!" I screeched, then lowered my voice, remembering my parents were trying to sleep. "How? Why? When did this happen?" I asked. Her big brown eyes started to water, and I gently tugged her back into my chest, running one hand through her hair soothingly.

"They told me a few weeks ago," she finally answered, her voice cracking. "Apparently Renee met some minor league baseball player and fell in love," she spat. "She said he 'makes her happy'. She's been packing her stuff for the last few weeks. He's coming to pick her up tomorrow actually." I remained silent for a moment, processing everything she had just told me. I couldn't blame her for being upset. I wished she had told me sooner, so she wouldn't have had to suffer alone.

"Bells, I'm so sorry," I murmured, still stroking her hair. "Why didn't you tell me? I hate that you've been dealing with this all alone, while I was out having a good time," I groaned. I could kick myself for being so stupid. Why hadn't I made her talk to me? She must have felt so alone.

"I just didn't want you to freak out, and ruin the rest of your vacation," she sighed. I stopped running my fingers through her hair and pushed her back once more, searching her face for an explanation.

"Why would I have freaked out? I mean, it definitely isn't good news, and I hate that you're hurting, but you could've told me, Bells. You didn't have to keep it from me," I insisted. A guilty look flashed over her face, and she cleared her throat nervously.

"Well, I haven't really told you everything yet," she admitted. I watched her warily, and she forced a smile to her face.

"You see, I've been spending all my time either here or with Alice since she told me. I haven't said a word to her in the past three weeks," she explained, dropping her eyes to her lap. "She said she never wanted me." Her whispered words were so full of pain, it sucked the air right out of my lungs.

"What?!" I yelled, no longer worried about my parents. Bella placed a calming hand on my cheek, pleading with her eyes for me to settle down. I took a few deep breaths, waiting for her to continue.

"She looked me right in the eyes and told me that she had never wanted me, that she only had me because it was what my dad wanted," she growled. "She said she had been miserable, being tied down by being a wife and mother, and that Phil had brought joy into her life," she said mockingly. "She actually had the nerve to ask me to be happy for her!" she yelled.

By the time she was done, my blood was boiling in rage. It had always been obvious that Renee wasn't an attentive mother. My parents were constantly complaining about her lack of interest in Bella's life. But to actually tell Bella to her face that she was simply a mistake? That was crossing the line. My chest began to rumble with the growl I was holding back, as I watched tears stream down Bella's face.

"Why didn't you tell me this? I would've come home, Bella. I would've been here for you!" I cried, furious that there was nothing I could do to fix this.

"You were just so happy," she whispered, tears still pouring onto her cheeks. "You were having so much fun, and I didn't want to ruin it for you," she shrugged. I groaned loudly, then reached out to hug Bella to my chest.

"Thank you for thinking of me, but, Bella? I could tell something was wrong. I know you better than anyone else in the world, and I could hear it in your voice. I was already miserable being away from you, and it just made it worse knowing that there was something hurting you that you wouldn't tell me about. Next time, just tell me, please?" I begged.

"I promise I won't keep things from you anymore, but you're never leaving me again, so it's a moot point," she giggled, leaning back to wipe the tears from her face. I chuckled softly with her, and helped her dry her face, scooting us down so we were lying under the blankets.

"Try to get some sleep, and we'll talk about everything more in the morning, okay?" I offered. She nodded silently and curled into my side, resting her head on my shoulder. I kept one arm wrapped tightly around her waist and closed my eyes.

I had no idea how to handle this. Every fiber in my being recoiled at the thought of Bella being in pain, but how could I protect her from her own mother? All I could do was offer her a shoulder to cry on, and I had never felt more helpless. How could anyone not love Bella? How could Renee have watched her grow into this amazing woman, and have no problem just turning her back and walking away?

I listened to Bella's breathing even out as she fell asleep, and I looked down into her peaceful face. No wonder she hadn't been taking care of herself. Her family was falling apart, and her mother was abandoning her. I set my jaw as I came to my decision; Bella might not be concerned about taking care of herself, so I would just have to do it for her. I wasn't going to let her take Renee's words to heart. From now on, it would be my personal duty to make sure she was fed and well-rested, and was made completely aware of how incredible she really was. I placed a kiss on my sleeping angel's forehead, and settled into the bed.

"I love you, my Bella. I'll be here for you always." I drifted quickly off to sleep, with Bella by my side.

**A/N: Isn't he sweet? I love Edward, he's the best =D Lemme know what you think! Leave some reviews, and I'll upload asap!**


	11. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are the sole property of Stephanie Meyers.

**A/N: This chapter is pretty slow and light, but it needed to be done! I'll try to make it as painless as possible, so hang in there! R&R plz =)**

Chapter 10

**EPOV**

The next day was an emotional roller coaster. I woke up blissfully happy, with Bella snuggled into my side, her beautiful brown eyes watching me closely. She smiled up at me then slid out of my arms, padding quietly over to the bathroom. I fought back the groan that threatened to escape at the side of her toned backside swaying across the room in those tiny little shorts. That dance camp had _definitely_ paid off.

I resigned myself to unloading all of my computer equipment when I heard the shower turn on, desperate for a distraction. The picture of Bella in her bikini flashed through my mind repeatedly, having an obvious effect on my groin. When she finally opened the door, dressed for the day in jeans and a snug t-shirt, I raced past her to lock myself bathroom before she could notice my "problem".

By the time I came out she had pulled her long, dark hair up into a messy ponytail, and was curled up on my leather couch reading a book. I plopped down beside her, shaking my wet mane in her direction, earning myself a loud squeal and a light shove. Bella glared at me for all of two seconds before her lip began to twitch, and a smile broke out on her face. She rose to her knees and leaned over, wrapping her arms around my neck.

"I'm so glad you're home," she mumbled into my shoulder. My heart soared and I squeezed her back, then quickly stood and slung her over my shoulder. She yelped in surprise then started pounding uselessly on my back with her small fists while I jogged down the stairs, laughing the whole way. When we made it to the kitchen my mother tossed us an amused smile, and I set Bella down on a stool at the breakfast bar.

"I don't think I like you being so big," she grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest. I chuckled loudly and placed a kiss on her temple, quickly calming her temper, and dug into the plate of waffles and bacon my mother had set before me. Bella dug into her food with gusto, and I grinned at the sight. Our little bubble was quickly burst when their was a loud crash in our entryway, and a small torpedo barreled into the room, headed straight for me.

"You're home!" it screeched, latching onto me tightly. I chuckled softly and hugged her back, but she quickly untangled herself from my embrace and stepped back, wide-eyed with shock.

"What the hell did they feed you over there? You're HUGE!" she yelled, looking me over from head to toe. My cheeks filled with heat, and I ran my hand through my hair nervously, shrugging my shoulders.

"I guess I just had a growth spurt, that's all," I explained. She snorted loudly and hopped up onto the bar stool on the other side of Bella.

"How you doin', gorgeous?" she asked, watching Bella carefully. Bella sighed heavily and shrugged her shoulders, now merely poking her food with her fork.

"I'm okay, I guess. Happy to have Goliath back," she giggled, nodding a head toward me. I rolled my eyes but smiled at her joke, happy to see her good mood hadn't disappeared completely.

"By the way, Alice, 'hello' to you too," she said sarcastically. Alice rolled her eyes and bumped Bella with her shoulder, motioning for her to keep eating while my mom placed a plate down for her too.

"So," Alice started, her mouth full of food, "what's the plan?" Bella tilted her head to the side in confusion, not saying anything.

"You know, for today? It's the big day, isn't it?" Alice continued, softer this time. Bella's shoulders suddenly stiffened, and her eyes widened in surprise.

"Oh, yeah, I guess I forgot," she answered. It was quiet for a minuted, and I reached a hand over to place it on her knee for comfort, earning a soft smile in return.

"Well, I don't really need to be there, nor do I want to. Phil's supposed to show up at some point with a small U-Haul, and he's gonna help Renee load up all her stuff. I'd just be getting in the way, and I think it'll just be too hard to have to actually _watch_ her leave, you know?" she asked, looking to me for confirmation. I nodded my head in understanding, and she continued.

"My dad's going to be in La Push for the day, so I thought maybe we could just hang out here?" she shrugged. "I mean, I know Alice and I need to go over some of our dances, and fix a few 8-counts. I thought maybe we could invite Emmett over if he's free, and pick up some stuff for a barbecue."

Alice and I both quickly agreed with her plan, and Alice went to go change out of her jeans and invite Emmett to come over, while Bella and I headed to the store. We jumped into my Volvo and rolled down the windows, enjoying the rare sunny day, singing along with all of the cheesy pop songs on the radio. We pulled up to the grocery store just a few minutes later, and I grabbed a basket while Bella rattled off a list of items we needed.

Half an hour later, with our cart full, we were strolling toward the checkout stand when Bella froze in her tracks. Her eyes were wide with fear, and she spun around in a circle before grabbing my arm and yanking me back toward an aisle. She stood hidden behind me, slowly stretching her neck out to look around the corner, and I followed her gaze to find the source of her terror. Just on the other side of the aisle stood Renee, loading chips, crackers, and bottled water into a man's basket.

"That's my mom!" Bella whisper-yelled. "I'm assuming that's Phil," she spat his name. "What does she see in him? Is it the money? Because he's really not that good looking," she fumed. I turned to look at her and saw a flash of rage cross her face, then determination. She straightened her spine and stepped forward to confront them, but I quickly grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her to face me.

"Bella, you can't just go over there and scream at her in the middle of a grocery store," I warned. She narrowed her eyes, swatting away my restraining hands.

"And just why not?" she questioned me angrily. I rolled my eyes and released a sigh, smiling sadly down at her.

"Because when the manager comes to see what's going on, he's going to recognize both of you, and call your dad. I'm pretty sure you're dad's having a bad enough day as it is. Don't make it worse," I pleaded. I really wasn't too worried about Charlie right now; he hadn't been much of a father to Bella over these last few weeks, and consequently his feelings meant little to me right now. But it was an argument that I knew Bella couldn't ignore, so I used it to keep her from doing something she'd regret later on. A dozen emotions flickered across her face before finally settling on resignation, and she let out a heavy sigh.

"You're right," she mumbled. "I don't want to make this any harder for him than it already is." I pulled her into a hug, then steered her toward the checkout stand, quickly paying for our items and getting the hell out of there. By the time we made it back to my house, Emmett and Alice were sitting in my kitchen talking happily with my mom.

"Holy shit, dude!" Emmett bellowed, rising from his chair to wrap me in a bone-crushing hug. Everyone broke into laughter, and he finally released me, allowing my lungs to refill with air.

"What happened to you, man? Get bitten by some kind of mutant bug?" he teased. He tossed a few more jabs at me before Bella finally distracted him with the promise of hamburgers, and she tossed me a quick smile.

I spent the rest of the afternoon eating burgers, kicking a soccer ball around with Emmett, and taking breaks to watch Bella dance. Her movements were so natural and graceful, it was hard not to stare. Emmett kept tossing me knowing smirks, elbowing me in the ribs or punching my shoulder. I guess he thought I could take it now that I wasn't so scrawny, but he was still big as hell and it still hurt. I took it without complaint, though, actually disappointed when him and Alice called it a night. Bella motioned for me to sit on the deck with her, and we sat quietly for awhile, enjoying the moment of peace.

"I think I should probably stay at my house tonight," she finally sighed, her voice melancholy.

"Are you sure? I don't mind if you want to stay with me again," I assured her, trying not to sound to eager, she scooted closer to me, curling up to my side, and nodded her head slowly.

"Yeah, I'm sure. My dad's probably not going to handle an empty house too well, and I don't want to make him go through it alone," she said quietly. I nodded in understanding and held her close, rubbing her arm to keep her warm.

"Well, if you need me for anything, you know where to find me," I smiled. She looked up at me, quiet for a moment, then smiled and nodded her head.

"I know, and thanks," she said. She leaned up and pressed a gently kiss to my cheek, then stood and turned to walk back into my house. I sat still for a few seconds, stunned by the feel of her lips on my skin, then slowly stood and followed her.

She said a quick goodnight to both my parents and I, then walked out the front door. I spent the rest of the night lying in my empty bed, unable to sleep without her now that I knew how great it was to have her near me. I finally fell asleep well into the morning hours, with thoughts of Bella swirling through my mind.

**A/N: So, what did you think? I'm sending the kids back to school in the next chapter, so things will start picking up again. Keep reviewing, and I'll keep posting!**


	12. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are the sole property of Stephanie Meyers.

**A/N: Time to go back to school! A few of our favorite vampires will be showing up in this chap, although they will be human, of course. Enjoy!**

Chapter 11

**BPOV**

"Need a ride?" I glare at the beautiful man with the velvet voice, cursing under my breath as I slam the hood down on my truck. He chuckles lightly and opens the passenger door to his shiny silver Volvo, looking at me expectantly. With a heavy eye roll and my arms crossed over my chest, I stomp over to his car and mutter a 'thank you' before sliding into the seat.

"I don't know why you bother with that thing," he says, sliding in behind the wheel. "It's older than dirt; you need to get a new car." He says all of this like its the simplest thing in the world, and I shoot him a dark scowl. Only, with him being so beautiful and smelling as good as he does in the enclosed space, I can't stay angry for very long.

"I know," I sigh. "But I love that truck, and I hate to give it up. Besides, I can't afford a new car," I remind him. He gives me that look, the one he does every time I bring up money, and I shake my head at him.

"Bella--," he starts, but I cut him off.

"No, Edward, you're not buying me a car. I don't care how much money your parents have, or how much money you've made with your computer business; I'm not going to use it," I insist.

"Fine," he concedes. I stare at him warily as a sly smile stretches up the corner of his mouth.

"So, if an anonymous, kindhearted citizen were to leave a pretty new car in your driveway..." he trailed off, his eyes glinting mischievously. I gave him a warning look and he rolled his eyes, just as we pulled into the school parking lot. He let out a low whistle, pointing out the cherry red BMW convertible parked next to our usual spot.

"Wow, I wonder who's driving that," I marveled. Come to think of it, I do recall my dad saying something about a new family moving into town.

"I dunno, but I'm sure we'll find out," Edward grinned. Forks was tiny. Knew people didn't go unnoticed. I'm sure someone will have clued us in before we even make it to the building. Sure enough, Alice popped up at my elbow as soon as we got out of the car.

"Hey! Did you see the new car?" she asked. I gave her my 'you can't be serious' look, and she rolled her eyes, hooking her arm through mine to walk toward the school.

"Supposedly there are two new students," she dishes, always in the know. "The girl is Rosalie, and the boy's Jasper." She got a funny look on her face when she said his name, but quickly shook it off and replaced it with a thousand-watt smile.

"They just moved her two days ago, and they're both seniors. Apparently the boy and his dad are from Texas; they struck oil on their property a few years back, and now they have more money than they know what to do with. They took a trip to Seattle last year to be with his deceased wife's poor mother in the nursing home; she had cancer, and they were the only family she had left. The dad fell in love with his mother in-law's nurse, Rosalie's mother, and the rest is history," she finished, sighing wistfully at the end.

"Wow, you learned all that before the first bell even rang. I'm impressed," I teased. She poked me in the side with one of her bony little fingers, and I yelped in pain, dancing away from her. My maneuvering caused me to smack right into Edward, who quickly reached out and steadied me, leaving an arm around my shoulder even after I had stopped wobbling. I grinned up at him and he flashed me a crooked smile, and the three of us headed inside.

The entire hallway stilled when we entered the room, becoming eerily quiet for a moment before the noise restarted, amplified twofold. It seems nobody recognized Edward with his new look, and every girl within twenty feet was swooning at the sight of him. The guys were sizing him up, trying to figure out how to knock out their new competition. I didn't know what I wanted to do first: hit somebody, or laugh. I settled for an eye roll, and led my friends to our lockers.

Apparently I was only half right about the reason for all of the gossip. People were definitely noticing Edward, but a lot were noticing me too. And not in the usual ways.

I only caught snippets of conversations as students milled through the halls, but it was enough to make angry tears well up in my eyes. News of my mother's affair and my parents' subsequent divorce had gotten out somehow, and the gossip spread like a wildfire. Everyone had something to say, and they weren't exactly trying to be discreet about it.

"Hey, don't listen to them. Something new will happen this week and capture their interest, and everybody will have forgotten all about your mom, okay?" Edward rubbed my shoulders comfortingly, and I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath before nodding my head. He smiled sadly at me, and gave me a quick hug before dropping me off at my classroom. I slid into a seat and tuned out the teacher as she went over they syllabus and talked endlessly about our reading list for the year, all books that I had already read. When class finally ended, I made my way to the door, but turned when my teacher called my name.

"Bella, would you be a dear, and show our new student to his next class. I wouldn't want him to get lost on his first day," she asked sweetly. I held back a snort at the idea of anyone getting lost in our tiny school, but smiled and nodded my head politely. She gestured to the young man beside her, and I was shocked by how good-looking he was. He had to be at least 6'1", and his long body was incredibly lean. He had the deepest blue eyes I had ever seen, and honey blonde hair that was long and shaggy. There was a little dimple in one of his cheeks when he smiled, and I accepted the tan hand he extended toward me.

"Hi, I'm Jasper. It's nice to meet you," he drawled, a distinct southern twang to his words.

"I'm Bella. It's nice to meet you too, Jasper," I greeted him. He followed me out the door, and I headed in the direction of his next class.

"The school's not very big, as you can see," I laughed, "so you shouldn't have too much trouble finding your classes." He laughed with me, a deep, soothing sound.

"Well, thank you, all the same." We reached his class quickly, and Alice's face popped into my head just as he was about to enter the room.

"Wait!" I called, causing him to turn and look at me expectantly. "You and your sister are welcome to sit with my friends and me and at lunch," I offered. "I'd hate for you guys to have to sit by yourselves." He smiled widely at me, nodding in acceptance.

"That'd be real nice, thank you. I'll let Rose know." And with that, he walked into his classroom, and I hurried off to my own. I had barely slid into my seat when the bell rang, and I sighed in relief. My sigh turned into a groan only seconds later when the teacher announced that we needed to pair up for a first-day-of-school scavenger hunt she was sending us on. Just as I started to search the room for a possible partner, I felt a light tapping on my shoulder. My eyes landed on a statuesque blonde that could give Heidi Klum an inferiority complex. She had ice blue eyes, and thick golden hair that hung in heavy curls down to the middle of her back, and her swimsuit model figure was showcased in a pair of tight darkwash jeans and a dark red silk blouse.

"Hi, I'm Rosalie," she introduced, thrusting her hand out confidently. I accepted it, feeling incredibly self-conscience.

"I'm Bella. It's nice to meet you." My smile faltered when she squinted her eyes, scanning me from head to toe. She plastered on a brilliant smile, and waved her hand for me to lead the way. I grabbed the assignment sheet off my desk and walked out into the hallway, heading in the direction of our first item. It was a pretty straightforward assignment. We just had to travel around the school, going to the right places to find different facts about our school; when it was established, who the superintendent was, etc...

Rosalie and I had just finished our list, and were taking our time walking back to the classroom. She had told me the same story Alice had, albeit with a few more details, and then asked me a million questions about Forks. I could tell I was going to like her already. She was confident and outspoken, and even though she came off as a little harsh at times, she was incredibly kind.

"You know, I didn't think I was going to like you," she admitted, catching me off guard.

"What? Why?" I asked. She laughed lightly, throwing her head back, then looked at me with sparkling eyes.

"All I've heard today is 'Bella Swan' this, and 'Bella Swan' that. I was sick of you before I even knew who you were," she admitted. I dropped my eyes to the floor, trying not to look too offended.

"I have to admit," she continued, "I honestly thought they were all just exaggerating about you. I thought you were going to be some prissy, spoiled brat that had the whole school in the palm of her hand. But," she smiled at me, "you really are as perfect as they all said," she finished. I rolled my eyes and let out a very unladylike snort, and she laughed louder this time.

"I'm serious!" she laughed, nudging me with her shoulder. "You're way cooler than I expected. I think I might actually be able to stand you," she teased. I laughed with her and we walked into our classroom just as the bell rang, saying our goodbyes and heading our separate ways.

I sat in a daze through the rest of my morning classes, eager to go to lunch. The bell finally rang, and I hurried through the hallways, stopping to buy an apple and a bottle of lemonade before heading to my table. Edward, Emmett, and Alice were already there, and they all greeted me happily when I arrived. Edward pulled out my seat next to him, and I plopped down, giving him a hug before greeting Alice and Emmett. We were all sharing stories from our first day back, when someone called my name from behind me.

"Bella!" I spun around in my chair and was met by two sets of blue eyes, and I waved them over happily.

"Hey, guys! Come sit down." I pointed from the two empty chairs at our round table, and they both sat down with smiles on their faces.

"Guys, this is Rosalie and Jasper," I told my friends. "These are my friends, Edward, Alice, and Emmett." I pointed to each of my friends in turn, and was met by silence from everyone except Edward. I looked back and forth between them all, and frowned in confusion.

"I think you just made two permanent additions to our group," Edward whispered into my ear. I tilted my head at him, and when he flashed me a smile, the lights finally clicked on.

"Oh!" I squeaked, comprehension settling in. The four silent members of our table were all staring openly at each other, identical expressions of awe and lust on their faces. I giggled quietly, and leaned back in my chair, taking a sip of my lemonade.

One thing's for sure: This was definitely going to be an interesting year.

**A/N: Soooo I know it wasn't much, but they're back in school, and Jasper and Rose are finally here! Lemme know whatcha think =)**


	13. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are the sole property of Stephanie Meyers.

**A/N: I thought I'd give you a look at senior year from Edward's POV. Let me know what you think, and thanks for all the reviews! You guys are the best =) Enjoy!**

Chapter 12

**EPOV**

School was....interesting. I've spent the last eleven years hiding behind Bella, avoiding any interaction with my peers for fear of being ridiculed. But now....I'm not sure how to act, exactly. I knew I had changed a lot over the summer, but I never thought it would have such a drastic affect on my social life.

My first day back was terrifying. I walked to my first class with my head down, typical, and quickly settled into a seat on the back row, also typical. What isn't typical, is what happened next.

"Edward!" I was jolted out of my Bella daydreams by a high-pitched nasally voice that has always caused my blood to freeze in my veins.

"Oh, Edward! We missed you over the summer!" Lauren attempted to purr, taking the seat right in front of me. I stared at her in shock, not really sure how to react. She had always been one of the few people brave enough to torment me behind Bella's back.

"So, where did you go? Did you have a blast?" she asked, nearly bouncing in excitement. My mouth opened and closed a few times, before I finally settled for a shrug.

"Aren't you glad to be back?" she sighed. "I know it sounds dorky, but I've missed school! I crave this kind of social interaction during the summers," she smiled, resting her hand on top of mine. I jerked it back quickly, fighting the urge to run to the bathroom and wash it off.

How stupid did she think I was? It wasn't exactly a secret that she didn't like me, and _everyone_ knew that she despised Bella. So, what, now that I grew a few inches and gained some muscle, I was worthy of her time? Let me just take this moment to make it very clear that I do _not_ like Lauren. At all. Not even a little. I don't think she's even human.

I studiously ignored the rest of her questions and remarks, which she finally gave up on after what felt like hours. I sped out of the class as quickly as possible, making sure I avoided her at all costs for the rest of the morning.

The highlight of my day was seeing Bella at lunch. I knew she had heard everyone talking about her mom throughout the day. It was kind of hard to miss, actually. But she was taking it much better than I had anticipated. She walked into the cafeteria, her head held high, smiling brightly like everything was perfect. She seemed more upbeat than usual when she reached our table, and I realized why a few minutes later.

Of course, I think Emmett and Alice were even more excited about the new additions to our group than she was. The four of them stared silently at one another throughout the entire lunch period, only breaking eye contact to head to class. I had to admit, I liked both of them already if they could keep Emmett and Alice quiet for twenty minutes.

As soon as the final bell rang for the day, I bolted out of my seat and headed toward the football field. Bella was running laps around the track with the rest of the girls when I got there, despite the light mist that was falling, so I leaned up against the chain link fence and watched her. She finally spotted me on her last trip around, and jogged straight over to me, a large grin on her face.

"Hey," she panted, hands placed on her little hips. I flashed her a crooked smile and leaned forward to kiss her cheek, earning myself a glimpse at her beautiful blush.

"What are you up to?" she asked, tilting her head back to look at me.

"Just wanted to see you," I shrugged, causing her blush to deepen. She opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by Lauren's cackle. I glanced over her shoulder, my eyes landing on Lauren, Jessica, and Leah, who were huddled together, eyes locked on Bella, talking in hushed whispers and laughing hysterically. My jaw clenched painfully as I ground my teeth, trying to hold in the growl that was rumbling through my chest.

"Hey," Bella's soft voice broke through my red haze, and I dropped my eyes down to look at her. She reached up a little porcelain hand a placed it on my cheek, her face completely calm, showing no sign that she had noticed the girls behind us.

"Don't worry about them, okay? Their just being catty, glad that they finally have some dirt they can use against me. But it only works if I let it, and we're not going to give them the satisfaction, okay?" she urged me. I closed my eyes tightly and took a deep breath, willing my heart to slow down.

"Okay," I conceded, staring into her big brown eyes. "But you will tell me if they start to bother you, won't you?" I asked. "I know they're just pissed off that even with your mom's 'scandal', you're still get more respect around here than any of them do on their best day. But I also know that they're petty, and they'll do anything to drag you through the mud. I won't just sit back and let them torment you," I growled. Bella remained quiet for a moment, rubbing her thumb gently across my cheek.

"Okay," she whispered. I gave her a sad smile, and her responding grin lit up her face.

"Now," she started, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes, "what are we gonna do about Emmett and Alice?" I chuckled lightly at the gleam in her eye, and shook my head in amusement.

"_We_ aren't going to do anything. We are going to let them fall all over themselves for awhile, and if they still can't get their acts together, we'll give them a shove in the right direction," I said. Her face fell and she frowned at me.

"You're no fun," she mumbled, crossing her arms over her chest. I chuckled once more and put an arm on her shoulders, pulling her into my side.

"Yo, Cullen!" I frowned at the sound of my name, looking around to find the source. When my eyes landed on Mike, my frown only deepened.

"Yes?" I asked warily. He sauntered over to us from the other side of the field, putting his fist out for me to bump when her reached us. I glanced from his fist to his hand, making no move to return his greeting, and he finally pulled it back.

"So, man, you trying out for the team?" he asked, acting as if we were buddies, as opposed to mortal enemies.

"Team?" I repeated, completely confused. I looked to Bella for enlightenment, but she just shrugged, her forehead scrunched up adorably in her confusion.

"The soccer team..." he said slowly, lifting his eyebrows. When I didn't respond, he pressed on.

"Tryouts our next week, and we could use some more men. You'd be perfect," he grinned. I stared at him dumbly, completely confused by his behavior. Am I dreaming? Is this really happening?

"Um, no, I'm not," I replied. His smile faltered and he patted me on the shoulder, not seeming to notice when I pulled away.

"Well, give it some thought, man. We could really use you." And with that, he spun on his heal and walked back toward the field, stopping to talk with Jessica and Lauren.

"What the hell was that?" I asked Bella. She stared after Mike for a minute before turning to face me, seemingly thinking very hard about something.

"You know," she started, tapping a finger to her chin, "it's really not a bad idea." My eyes widened slightly, and I pressed a hand to her forehead, but she quickly swatted it away.

"I mean, you were telling me about how you learned to play soccer on your vacation, and you seemed really excited about it. Plus, Emmett's on the team, and I'm sure he'd love having you there," she shrugged. I mulled over her words, not sure whether or not I agreed.

"I don't know," I finally responded. "I guess I'll think about it." Bella smiled up at me, warming my heart, and reached forward to hug my waist.

"Don't think too hard, I don't want you to hurt yourself," she giggled. I tickled her sides and she squealed loudly, jumping away from me.

"I have to get back to practice," she laughed. "I'll call you when I get home." She jogged over to where Alice was lining the girls up on the field, and I grinned happily to myself as I headed to the parking lot.

I drove home on a Bella high. I had been initiating more physical contact since I got home. Nothing to big, just small stuff: my arm around her shoulder, kissing her forehead and cheeks, a lot of hugging, etc...So far, she hadn't stopped my advances. As a matter of fact, she seemed to be returning them wholeheartedly. Maybe everyone was right; maybe she really did reciprocate my feelings. The only way to find out would be to open up to her. I wasn't quite ready for that, yet, but I was working up to it.

**A/N: This chapter was a little shorter than the rest, but I didn't want to drag it out just to make it longer. It seemed like a good stopping point, so I cut it off. Send me some reviews, and I'll update soon!**


	14. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are the sole property of Stephanie Meyers.

**A/N: Nothing too major in this chapter, but it shows some more interaction between the gang. Lemme know what ya think =) Enjoy!**

Chapter 13

**EPOV**

I thought about Bella's words over the next few days. When I was in Massachusetts, I had discovered a natural talent for soccer. The guys were really fun to play with, and it was so relaxing. Plus, now that I was back home, I wasn't getting nearly as much exercise as I had been. Maybe joining the team would be a good thing.

Bella's schedule was filling back up now that school had started, so I had plenty of free time in the afternoons. I took this time as an opportunity to get a little practice in with a soccer ball, trying to get myself up to a decent level for tryouts. The sport seemed almost second nature to me, but I didn't want to look like a mess in front of all those guys.

When the weekend came around, Bella spent all of Saturday at the library on an extra shift, and Sunday with Alice, practicing their routines. I invited Emmett and Jasper over to kick the ball around with me. Jasper had been on the varsity soccer team at his school back in Texas, and Emmett was great at every sport. I thought my chances of making the team were pretty good if I had them training me.

By the time Monday rolled around, I was terrified. My nerves had amplified tenfold, and I was so scared I thought I was going to puke. Bella promised to be at the field right after school, as moral support for my tryouts. The thought of having her there watching me only made me more nauseous, and I spent the rest of the day trying to convince myself not to chicken out.

Emmett and Jasper were waiting in front of the locker room when I got out of my last class, both of them already dressed out. I changed into some basketball shorts, tennis-shoes, and a t-shirt, then went out to meet them. My hands were dripping with sweet, and it was all I could do to keep from passing out on the way to the field. There were about thirty guys standing around out there talking, waiting for the coach to start tryouts.

My eyes scanned the field frantically until they rested on Bella, sitting up in the bleachers with Alice and Rose. She smiled brightly while Alice jumped up and down, waiving excitedly, and Rose let out an ear-shattering whistle. The three of us chuckled, mine a nervous, choked sound, and went to stand with the rest of the guys.

The coach arrived after a few minutes, and started us on some drills, having us run through all the basics, just so he could see what we could do. We paired off and did some more maneuvers, then finally played out a scrimmage. I had gone onto autopilot as soon as he stepped onto the field, so I really had no idea how well I was doing. My only thoughts were 'breathe' and 'don't puke'. I'm proud to say I accomplished both.

By the end of the tryouts, I was completely exhausted, and my body was drenched in sweat. Emmett and Jasper looked about the same as I felt, and the girls quickly ran over to us and handed us each a bottle of Gatorade. Ten minutes later, the couch called us all over with the assistant coach by his side, and started reading names off his list.

Emmett was one of the first ones called, and Jasper was shortly after him. Name after name was being called, and my anxiety level increased exponentially every time it wasn't mine. I had just about given up hope and let my disappointment consume me, when the coach said those magic words. Inside, I felt like doing a victory dance and screaming at the top of my lungs. Outside, I passed him a tight-lipped smile and a small nod.

As soon as the last name was called and the coach left the field, Bella launched herself into my arms. I yelped in surprise then started laughing, as she screamed 'you did it' at the top of her lungs.

"I'm so proud of you!" she said for the millionth time, when I finally set her back down. "I knew you could do it!" she grinned widely, and I couldn't help but join her.

"Hey, how'd you girls manage to miss an entire dance practice this afternooon?" I asked, realizing how late it had gotten. Bella and Alice shrugged, smiling over at Rosalie, who was openly drooling over Emmett's shirtless chest.

"We're getting Rosalie 'caught up' on our routines," Bella grinned, holding her fingers up to make air quotes. I tilted my head to the side in confusion.

"Rose joined the team!" Alice squealed. She looped one arm through Rose's, while Bella claimed the other, all three of them smiling brightly.

"How'd you manage to get on the team without an audition?" I asked, still confused. Rosalie rolled her eyes as if it was no big deal.

"I've had six years of cheerleading and nine years of ballet. Besides Bella and Alice, I'm the most qualified girl on the team," she grinned.

"So, if you're a cheerleader, why'd you join the dance team?" Emmett asked, just as confused as I was. Rosalie threw her head back in laughter, her arms still linked with Bella's and Alice's.

"I couldn't leave my girls to deal with Lauren all on their own. They needed some muscle to back them up," she grinned. The girls all laughed together, and Rose shot me a quick wink.

"Well, since we're all here, you guys wanna go to the diner and grab some grub?" Emmett asked, smacking his hands together and licking his licks comically.

"Sorry, can't," Bella said sadly. "I have an extra credit assignment to do for my British Lit. class. It's due at the end of the week, so I need to get started." Everyone except me and Alice looked at her like she was crazy.

"Extra credit? It's only the second week of school!" Emmett exclaimed, Jasper nodding emphatically by his side with a look of horror on his face.

"You already get straight A's, why do you need the extra points anyway?" Rosalie asked. Bella's eyes dropped to her shoes and she shrugged her little shoulders.

"It never hurts to do extra credit," she insisted. "What if I get sick or something, and have to miss an assignment later? This way, I don't have to worry about it." Rosalie shook her head sadly, patting Bella's shoulder sympathetically.

"You need help, sweetie. That's just not normal." She gave her a quick hug and hopped over to Emmett, looping her arm through his and offering to give him a ride to the diner. His grin nearly split his face open, and he nodded quickly, dragging her toward the parking lot. Alice smiled at Jasper, who returned her grin wholeheartedly, and the two of them linked arms and followed the other two. I stepped over to Bella, lifting her chin up with my index finger.

"Are you sure you don't want to go?" I asked, searching her eyes. Alice and I knew better; she wasn't doing this extra credit for her grade, she was doing it to stay busy. Bella had always been like this. When something was bothering her, she would bury herself in work to avoid it, trying to keep her mind busy. With her mom gone, she had started picking up any extra work or shifts at the library she could, avoiding free time at all costs. She was working herself to death.

"Yeah, I'm sure," she nodded. I watched her for a few more seconds before sighing heavily, pressing my lips to her forehead.

"I'll bring you something when I come home," I offered. "Let me know if you need any help." She smiled up at me and grabbed my arm, walking with me to the parking lot. I dropped her off at her house, then headed into town, trying to come up with some way to help her. Maybe the gang would be able to come up with something.

"Hey, Edward!" they all chorused when I walked in. I slid into the booth they were at, stealing one of Alice's fries. She was perched on Jasper's lap, and I looked at them curiously.

"What can I say, I move fast," she shrugged, both of them grinning widely. I shook my head at her, sitting up straight and making my expression serious.

"We need to do something about Bella," I stated firmly.

"Yeah, what's up with that whole 'extra credit' thing?" Rosalie asked, eating a tatertot off Emmett's plate. I took a second to marvel at the fact that he didn't try to bite her like he does when I take his food, while Alice explained the situation.

"Bella doesn't handle stress very well," she started. "When there's something bothering her, she buries herself in work so she doesn't have to think about it. Her parents just split up over the summer, and ever since she's been working her little tail off," she frowned.

"Oh, bummer. I remember when my parents split up. I was little, but it was still rough," Rose sympathized. Alice shifted uncomfortably on Jasper's lap.

"Yeah, well, the thing is...it wasn't exactly a 'mutual' decision, if you know what I mean," she explained. "Charlie took her out to Seattle for a night out, to watch a minor league game and have a nice dinner. While they were there, they got one of the player's autographs, and Renee got his phone number as well." She gave Rose a pointed look, and she quickly caught on.

"Oh, shit! So, you mean she had an affair with some ball player?" Rose asked. Alice nodded solemnly, and Rose sank back into the seat. "Whoa."

"Tell me about it," Alice sighed. "So anyway, she filed for a divorce with Charlie, and then she sat Bella down to tell her. Only, she didn't just come clean about the affair and divorce. She basically told Bella that she had never wanted her, and that she had been miserable ever since she was born, hating being 'tied down' by a family. A few weeks later, Phil came to the house with a U-Haul and loaded up Renee's stuff, and the two of them sped out of town."

Rose and Jasper listened wide-eyed, while Emmett and I sat quietly with somber expressions. Suddenly Rose slapped her hand down on the table, a determined look on her face.

"That's it!" she exclaimed. "We'll kidnap her!"

**A/N: How am I doing so far? You guys like it? I'll give you the kidnapping next, so keep reading and reviewing! **


	15. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are the sole property of Stephanie Meyers.

**A/N: Okay, time to kidnap Bella! I've never actually done this, but it sounds like fun, doesn't it? Read and review plz =) Enjoy!**

Chapter 14

**EPOV**

We all looked at Rose like she had two heads, and she rolled her eyes.

"We need to go to her house, right now, and kidnap her. We used to do it all the time in cheer leading. The week after tryouts we would 'kidnap' each new member, and take them to one of our houses for a night of junk food, makeovers, and boy talk. It's so much fun!" she grinned, bouncing a little like Alice, who was now clapping her hands excitedly.

"Oh my gosh, that's sounds like so much fun! I mean, we need to tweak it a little bit since we have guys with us, but I think it'll work." She looked to each of us for confirmation, and we all agreed quickly. Bella couldn't possibly turn us down if we gave her no other choice.

"We can go to mine and Jasper's house," Rose offered. "Our parents flew down to Texas for a few days to handle some company business. We'll have the whole place to ourselves." We quickly paid for our food and ran out of the diner, huddling up on the sidewalk to discuss our plan.

"Okay, Edward, you, Alice, and Jasper will go kidnap Bella. Me and Emmett can go get all the food." We nodded in unison and piled into our separate cars, heading off to complete our mission. I pulled into my driveway a few minutes later, and Alice dropped her car off before her and Jasper met up on my porch. We hurried through my house and up the stairs, then crossed through my room and onto the balcony. I motioned for them to stay quiet, then silently crept through the tree-house and onto Bella's balcony, sighing in relief when her door opened easily.

She was spread out on her bed, a book in her hand, her beautiful face peaceful in sleep. I crouched down at her side, and gently shook her awake. Her big brown eyes blinked open slowly, and I scooped her up in my arms before she could protest, carrying her out onto the balcony.

"Edward, what are you doing?" she asked, her voice still thick with sleep.

"I'm kidnapping you," I grinned. She squinted her eyes in confusion, and scanned our surroundings. By the time she was coherent, I was already carrying her down the stairs, Alice and Jasper waiting at the front door.

"Edward, what's going on? Where are you taking me?" she demanded, wiggling in my grip. I didn't answer her, but gave Alice a meaningful look. She quickly reached up and placed a hand over Bella's mouth, muffling her voice while Jasper opened the passenger door to my car. I slid her inside and quickly shut the door, then the three of us piled in after her.

"Edward, answer me!" she whined, looking between the three of us. Alice giggled lightly from the backseat, patting Bella on the head.

"He told you, we're kidnapping you," she laughed. "You weren't going to choose to have fun, so we decided to make you." She grinned widely, and Bella searched my face.

"You're kidnapping me," she stated, her voice flat. "You do realize it's a school night?" I rolled my eyes, and followed Jasper's directions toward his house.

"Bella, relax. Yes, I know it's a school night, but you'll be fine. You've never gotten a bad grade in your life, and I won't let you start now. I promise," I said, looking straight into her eyes. She crossed her arms over her chest and stared silently at the windshield for a moment, before a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.

"So where are we going?" she asked, curiosity getting the best of her. Alice squealed happily in the backseat, and I turned the last corner onto Jasper and Rose's street. I pulled into their driveway and we all piled out, shuffling up to the front door and following Jasper inside. Rose and Emmett were already back, and she was putting on some music while he spread the food out on the coffee table.

"You guys are the best friends a girl could have," Bella cried, wiping her tear-streaked face with the back of her hand.

"Hey! No crying!" Rose yelled, flashing Bella a bright smile.

An hour later, we were all sprawled out around the coffee table, most of the food gone, laughing hysterically. Alice and Emmett had packed quite a bit of our snacks away between the two of them, and we all shared stories of our childhoods. It was just starting to quiet down, when Alice leapt to her feet.

"Oh! I have the perfect idea!" she squealed, clapping her hands excitedly. Bella groaned loudly, shaking her head at the little pixie.

"Alice, pl--" she was cut off by a fiery glare from Alice.

"Don't you start with me, Bella. We are playing truth or dare whether you like it or not." She nodded her head for emphasis, and we all pulled ourselves into upright positions.

"I'll go first," she volunteered, an evil glint in her eyes. "I pick...Jasper!" Jasper swallowed nervously, watching his tiny girlfriend warily.

"Truth or dare, sweetie," she asked, batting her eyelashes at him. He looked to each of us for assistance, but no one said a word.

"Um...dare?" he said, sounding unsure. Alice beamed at him, obviously happy with his decision.

"I dare you to jump into the pool butt-naked!" she squealed. Emmett and I made disgusted faces, but the girls all laughed. Jasper hung his head, slowly rising to his feet and walking out back. We all followed him in a little huddle, and watched as he stripped to his birthday suit and canon-balled into the pool. Alice stared just a bit longer than was polite, then kindly walked to the edge of the pool and handed him a towel. He climbed out slowly, his face bright red, until Alice whispered something in his ear to make him grin. Rosalie let out a delicate snort, and we all reconvened back in the living room.

The rest of the game continued on in much the same fashion. It seemed to be everyone's goal to embarrass the hell out of everyone else, and it worked pretty well. Nobody chose truth for fear of _really_ being embarrassed. It wasn't until our game was winding down, that I realized the reason for Alice's sudden desire to play.

"I choose...Edward," Rosalie grinned. I took a deep breath, expecting more humiliation, and looked her straight in the eyes.

"Dare." Her grin widened, and she shared a meaningful look with Alice. I was suddenly terrified, but it was too late to go back now.

"I dare you to kiss Bella," she declared. My eyes widened dramatically, and I caught a glimpse of Bella's reddened face before I cleared my throat, trying to gain control of myself. Alice quickly jumped up and ran to Rose's side, whispering something in her ear.

"On the lips!" she quickly added. I glared at Alice, who merely smiled innocently, and I turned to face Bella. She was staring down at her lap, her face still red, refusing to make eye contact with me. I rose to my knees and pulled her up with me, so we were face to face only inches apart. Her eyes finally tilted up to meet mine, and the pure desire in them caused the rest of the world to melt away. I reached one hand up slowly to cup her face, and lowered my head down to hers, every inch feeling like a mile. Her eyes slowly fluttered closed and her soft, pink lips parted, my head instantly clouding over with lust. I closed the distance between us, pressing my lips to hers softly once, then again, and a third time, marveling at the silky texture of her lips. After the third little peck, Bella lost her patience.

She reached up to wind her fingers through the hair at the base of my neck, pulling me down to her level and crashing her lips to my own. A flood of sensations rushed through my body, shifting my whole world. My free hand found its way to the small of her back, and I pulled her body flush against mine while our lips continued to move together. I mustered up the courage to slip out my tongue, gliding it slowly along her full bottom lip to taste her, and a soft whimper escaped her lips. Something in my snapped at the sound, and I would have taken her right there if a throat hadn't cleared behind us.

We jumped apart, both panting heavily, but neither letting go of one another. Her naturally plump lips had swollen from the pressure of my own, and her cheeks were flushed a light pink. Her eyes were still hooded with desire, the rich chocolate pools shining brightly. My own chest was rising rapidly as I tried to even out my breathing, and my heart was beating so hard in my chest that I'm sure all of our friends could hear it. But I didn't care. Because Bella tasted like heaven, and I was going to do everything in my power to be able to kiss her again and again, every day for the rest of our lives.

"Well that was...interesting," Rose snickered, the rest of our friends joining her. I finally pulled my eyes away from Bella, and saw all of our friends giving us knowing looks. Alice shot me a quick wink, and I mouthed a 'thank you' when Bella wasn't looking.

"I think it's safe to say we're done for the night," Jasper muttered, rising slowly to his feet. He scooped little Alice up in his arms, and carried her upstairs to his bedroom, both of them yelling their 'goodnights' over his shoulder. Rosalie quickly followed suit, giving Emmett a look that let us all know exactly what she had planned for him tonight. He quickly jumped to his feet, looking like a little kid on their way to meet Santa.

"I'm gonna go find out once and for all if this dog is more bark or bite," she winked, dragging him behind her up the stairs.

"Ew," Bella shuddered, causing me to chuckle. Her eyes snapped up to mine, and she blushed furiously, quickly dropping her gaze.

"Um, where are we sleeping?" she asked, still not looking at me. I looked around the room for a minute, not really sure of an answer, and finally looked back at her and shrugged my shoulders.

"I dunno; Rose didn't really say. I guess we can go upstairs and look for some guest rooms," I offered. Bella glanced up at me, holding my gaze for a second, then nodded her head, following me up the stairs. The first door we came to wasn't being used, so I offered it to Bella, intending to go find another room for myself. But she grabbed my hand in her own and held me back, looking down at the floor.

"Do you think you could stay with me?" she asked in a quiet voice. "I sleep better when you're there," she mumbled. Instead of responding, I kicked off my shoes and slid my shirt over my head, offering it to her to sleep in.

She stared wide-eyed at my bare chest for a moment, making me feel pretty damn good about myself, then quickly excused herself to the bathroom. She came back a few minutes later in nothing but my shirt, which hung down to the middle of her thighs. I pulled the blankets back for her, and she slid into the bed next to me, immediately curling up into my side. In a matter of minutes, her breathing evened out as she drifted off to sleep, with me following right behind her.

**A/N: I thought I would explode if something didn't happen between these too soon, so I threw that one in there. There's still a few more chapters before they share their feelings with one another, but I thought I'd be nice and throw you guys a bone =P So go on, repay the favor and click that little blue button....**


	16. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are the sole property of Stephanie Meyers.

**A/N: Now, don't get too excited...Edward and Bella aren't going to get together yet, they have to build up to it. But keep reading, and I promise they'll get there =) Enjoy!**

Chapter 15

**EPOV**

I had hoped to talk to Bella about our kiss, finally getting everything out in the open, but fate had other plans. We both fell asleep as soon as our heads hit the pillows, and we were awoken the next morning by Alice shrieking that we were late for school. In less than ten minutes we were all piled into our cars and flying toward Forks High, sliding into the building just as the final bell rang. I hurried off to class, sneaking into my seat just as the teacher started taking roll. My heart was beating fast and sweat had pooled on my forehead, but at least I had made it. But my joy was quickly suspended when Lauren spun around in her seat, batting her false eyelashes at me.

"Edward! I'm so glad you made it. I thought maybe you had stayed home sick," she whined, thrusting her bottom lip out in a pout. For manner's sake, I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, and just shrugged my shoulders instead.

"I was only three minutes later. That hardly requires the use of a search party," I frowned. She giggled lightly, lightly slapping my arm as if I had just made the funniest joke.

"You are just too cute!" she chirped. This time I was forced to drop my eyes to the desk, so at least she couldn't _see_ me roll my eyes. Apparently, she didn't take the hint.

"So, I heard you made the soccer team. Congratulations!" she gushed. I mumbled a 'thank you' and pulled out my notebook and a pencil, pretending to be busy listening to the teacher. Again, she was a little slow on the uptake.

"So, have any plans this weekend? Because Mike is throwing a killer back-to-school party, and you should totally come hang out with us," she smiled. I thought hard for a minute for a nice way to turn her down, coming up with nothing.

"Sorry, I'm busy," I replied, keeping my eyes glued on the teacher. I could see Lauren's expression of heartbreak out of the corner of my eye, and I studiously ignored her.

"Really? Are you sure you can make some time for little old me?" she pouted. Her attempt at puppy-dog eyes was laughable at best, and I finally snapped. Wasn't this the same girl who has tormented both me and Bella for the last eleven years? Did she really think I would just overlook that?

"No, I can't. Not that I would try, anyway," I muttered. She must've heard me, because her jaw dropped to the floor, and rage burned behind her dull blue eyes. She spun back around to face the front, scribbling furiously on a piece of paper and then passing it to Jessica. Jessica, as any good lackey would, turned in her seat to shoot daggers at me with her eyes. I stifled my chuckle, turning it into a cough.

As soon as the bell rang, I tossed my bag over my shoulder and bolted for the door. I managed to avoid Lauren the rest of the morning, but my luck had run out by lunchtime. I had just taken my seat beside Bella, when her nasally voice piped up behind me. She bent over so that her lips were close to my ear, one hand complete with acryllic nails gripping my bicep, and spoke loud enough for our entire table to hear.

"In case you change your mind about this weekend, here's my number and Mike's address. I hope you come." And with that, she spun around, flipping her limp blonde hair over her shoulder and sauntering back to her table, leaving a folded slip of paper in my lap. Picking it up without looking, I snagged the first freshman that passed our table and slapped it into his hand, pointing to Lauren across the cafeteria.

"That's from her. She wants you to come to her party this weekend," I told him. She caught me looking at her and wiggled her fingers at me, and the poor freshman nearly wet himself in excitement, assuming she was waving to him. He hurried off to his table to show the digits to his friends, and I turned back to my own. They were all staring at me with expressions of awe and pride, and I simply shrugged my shoulders.

"Maybe this time she'll get the hint." Emmett snorted loudly, and Rosalie tilted her head to the side.

"So I'm guessing that was a continuation of a previous conversation, then?" she asked. I rolled my eyes, nodding at the same time.

"It was really sad actually; I almost felt bad for her. She tried to bat her eyelashes at me, but it lost a little bit of its effect when the glue started to give out." Bella choked on her Coke and Rose laughed loudly, Emmett guffawing right along with her. Alice had a dainty hand pressed to her mouth, her eyes watering, and Jasper was wiping tears out of the corners of his eyes.

The rest of the afternoon passed pretty quickly, nothing exciting happening. I ran out of my last class as soon as the bell rang, eager to find Bella. Now that we had some free time, I wanted to talk to her about last night. I know she felt something in that kiss, because she reacted just as strongly as I had. But I needed to act on it before too much time passed, and she changed her mind.

She wasn't by her locker when I got there, so after a quick scan of the parking lot to make sure she wasn't waiting out there for me, I started walking around the school. There weren't too many places she could be, so I headed for the dance room first. She walked out of the room as soon as I approached it, and I smiled brightly at her.

"Hey, need a ride home?" I asked. As soon as I saw her face, I knew we wouldn't be talking today. My smile instantly disappeared.

"I'm so sorry, Edward, I was just coming to find you. I'm just really busy today," she explained, looking remorseful. I nodded in understanding, trying to bring my smile back.

"That's cool, really. What time are you gonna be home? Maybe we can hang out..." I trailed off when she dropped her eyes to the floor, sucking her bottom lip in between her teeth.

"That late, huh?" I asked, my mood quickly turning sour. She looked up at me, and I noticed how dark the circles under her eyes had gotten. Come to think of it, she looked like she was still losing weight, too.

"Well, I have to help Mrs. Cope put our music onto a CD for the pep rally and game this friday, then I have a student council meeting to set up the first blood drive. After that, I need to swing by the choir room and pick up the sheet music for my solo so I can start rehearsing it, and then Mrs. Wells asked me if I could fill in for one of the other workers at the library tonight. So, I guess I'll be home around nine-ish, and I'm still gonna need to do homework," she sighed. My eyes were bugging out of my head, and I instinctively reached forward to wrap her in a hug.

"Try to take it easy, Bells," I whispered. "You're gonna work yourself to death, and I don't think I could handle that." I kissed the top of her head and stepped back, and she smiled sadly at me.

"I'll be fine, really," she insisted, not very convincingly. I nodded my head, and turned to go, but stopped when she called my name. When I looked back at her, she ran up to me quickly, leaning on her tiptoes to place a soft kiss on my cheek, her own turning crimson. Before I could react, she scurried off into the dance room, out of sight. My grin stretched across my face, and I floated out to the parking lot on a cloud.

My mom was unloading the dryer when I got home a few minutes later, and I dropped my stuff in the entryway before going over to help her. She set the basket on the couch in the living room, and I got to work helping her fold and separate.

"So, I haven't seen you in awhile," she teased. I rolled my eyes but bumped her with my hip, grinning down at her.

"Yeah, I guess I have been pretty busy," I admitted. "Not as busy as Bella, though." I mumbled this last part, a dark scowl on my face. My mom nudged me with her arm, smiling reassuringly at me.

"Just give her time to adjust, and make sure she knows you're there for her. Her life has changed quite a bit in this last month or so, and that's hard for anybody. But she'll pull through; Bella's a very strong young woman," she assured me. I nodded my head, remaining silent, and put up the laundry when we finished folding.

I spent the next few hours in my room, doing homework and getting some work done on my computer. My repair business had started slowing down, so I had to look for a new way to earn some money. Mr. Hall, my computer science teacher, had suggested that I look into a company he used to work for that's based in Seattle. They were one of the top software design firms on the West coast, and a lot of their employees were freelance.

I looked them up, and just a few weeks later I started my new job. They would send me pieces of code that were giving them trouble, and I would tweak them a little and make the necessary changes. When I finished a piece, I would send them the final product, and they would send me a check. Not a bad gig, if you ask me.

By the time I looked at my clock again, it was after ten o'clock. I shut everything down and went out on my balcony, crossing through the tree-house to Bella's door. I knocked softly, but received no answer, so I pushed the door open and looked around.

Her desk lamp was on, casting a soft glow around the room, and there were several textbooks open all over the surface of the desk. Bella was hunched over in her chair with her head lain over an open book, her eyes closed peacefully in sleep. My heart ached at the sight of her exhausted form, and I quickly crossed over to her side.

I lifted her in my arms and gently carried her to the bed, pulling back the covers before laying her down. I slipped her shoes off and tugged the ponytail holder out of her hair, then tucked her into bed. Her backpack was sitting by her door, so I retrieved it and loaded all of her books back up, setting her bag back in its place, then I flicked the light off.

Bella slept throughout the entire process, and I pressed a gentle kiss on her forehead before slipping silently back onto the balcony, wishing her a peaceful night's sleep.

**A/N: Isn't he sweet? And how much do you hate Lauren? I promise the angst won't last much longer, so just hang in there! Review plz, and I'll give you another chapter =P**


	17. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are the sole property of Stephanie Meyers.

**A/N: Well, I think I'm gonna start wrapping things up, and solving problems in this chapter. There are still at least seven chapters left after this one, so don't panic! I'm just ready to start cleaning up the drama, and moving on to the 'happily ever after' =) Enjoy!**

Chapter 16

**EPOV**

It's been two weeks since I've talked to Bella outside of school. I don't know how much more of this I can take.

There were many more nights like that last one over the next few weeks. Actually, that entire day seemed to have been put on repeat, never pausing or taking a break.

We all went to school every day, talked and laughed with one another like everything was normal, and then split up when it came to an end. Bella would stay at the school most of the afternoon, disappear to the library in the evenings, and then make it home late at night to do homework. And every night, I would cross over to her room around eleven or twelve and put her to bed.

She never said anything on that first time, and even then it was just an embarrassed 'thank you'. I would say that I'm not worried about her, but I'd be lying.

We had just started the off-season routine for soccer this week. It pretty much consisted of drills, scrimmages, weight-lifting, and running. I was completely exhausted, but I was dying to see Bella. Since she never had any free time anymore, I figured I'd just catch up to her during one of her meetings. I couldn't disrupt her student council meeting or her choir rehearsal since I had been in practice for both of those, but she had just started dance practice when I left the locker room.

Emmett and Jasper asked if they could tag along with me, both wanting to see their girls. It amazed me how fast the four of them had hooked up. Alice and Jasper were dating by the end of his first week here, and after truth or dare night, Emmett and Rose were basically attached at the hip.

I was happy for all of them, but more than a little jealous. I wanted all of that with Bella, but we could never have it if she was always busy. Not to mention, you have to be alive to date someone, and at the rate she was going I was pretty sure she wouldn't last much longer. Having a busy schedule is fine, but going nonstop 24/7 wasn't healthy, and she was definitely out of the 'healthy' range.

Me and the guys joked with one another and talked about practice on our long walk to the field. It was overcast today, like always, but luckily it hadn't rained yet. The girls were taking advantage of this chance to practice on the field, so that's where we were headed.

We could hear their music blasting through the stadium speakers well before we got there, and Emmett started doing his 'signature' move, that looked a little like he was having a seizure. Jasper and I laughed at him all the way across the stadium, until we finally made it to the bleachers.

The girls were all deep in concentration, Barbie doll smiles plastered on their faces. My eyes were glued to Bella's lithe body as she manipulated it to the music, a light sheen of sweat making her smooth skin look slick. When the music finally ended, the girls all collapsed onto the field while their coach tossed them bottles of water. Our girls trudged robotically over to us, and we leaned over the bleachers to talk to them.

"Hey there, hot stuff, how's it shakin?" Emmett grinned, his eyes roaming over Rose's body. She reached up one perfectly manicured finger to flip him off, and Jasper and I both broke out laughing.

Jasper hooked his feet into the bottom rung of the railing, and leaned over to grip Alice's tiny waist in his hands, lifting her up just enough to place a kiss on her lips before dropping her back to her feet. She smiled happily up at him, too tired to talk for a change.

Bella was wearing a smile, but it wasn't quite right. I couldn't put my finger on it, but something just seemed off with her.

"Are you okay, Bells?" I asked her softly, searching her face for any hint of the problem, but she waved my worry away with a flick of her hand, guzzling a mouthful of water.

The girls coach called them all back over, telling them to take it once more from the top. They all groaned in unison, but got back into formation, holding their poses as the music started. Those identical smiles popped magically back onto their faces, and we sat back to watch the performance.

They were about halfway through the routine, when Bella's smile faltered, and her body seemed to be instantaneously drained of energy. I lurched to me feet, watching her over the railing, as her eyes rolled back in her head and her body collapsed onto the grass.

I was over the railing in half a heartbeat, throwing my body onto the track and sprinting over to Bella's limp form. The girls were all screaming, and talking loudly, while Alice and Rose knelt at her side, tears pouring down their faces.

One of the girls, Angela, had already retrieved a cell phone out of her bag and had called 911. I made a mental note to send her a very nice 'thank you' gift.

I scanned Bella's body quickly, looking for any visible injuries, then gently rolled her onto her back, laying her out flat. I rubbed her cheeks gently with my hands, whispering words of comfort to her, praying to whoever may be listening that she wasn't hurt.

It seemed like hours later when the EMTs arrived, and Emmett and Jasper opened the field gate to let them through. The backed the truck up to our little huddle, and the girls went to stand on the track so they had room to work. Bella's eyes started to flutter open when they loaded her onto the gurney. She looked around for a few seconds before her breathing started to pick up, and I reached for her hand to keep her from having a panic attack.

"I'm right here, Bells," I told her. "You're gonna be okay. You passed out on the field, and the paramedics are taking you to the hospital. Just hang in there, alright? I'll be right with you the whole time," I promised, looking to the EMT for confirmation. He nodded his head and motioned to the back of the truck, and I jumped in next to Bella. She clenched my hand tightly, and I ran my fingers through her hair, trying to keep her calm.

The ride to the hospital was short but bumpy, and I stayed with Bella until they took her into a room. Since my father was the chief of medicine, they hospital staff all knew me and Bella very well, and a room had already been set up for her by the time we made it in. It wasn't until I dropped into a seat in the lobby that it all came crashing down.

Sobs tore through my chest, and I dropped my head in my hands, catching any tears that fell. The vision of Bella collapsing on the field kept playing over and over through my mind, not allowing me to have any piece. My heart was throbbing at the mere thought of losing her.

"Edward?" I looked up at the familiar voice, and my father quickly pulled me up, wrapping me in a hug. He held me for a minute until my sobs quieted, and I scrubbed at my face to remove any traces of my fragile state.

"How is she? Can I see her?" I asked, searching his face hopefully. He smiled sadly and nodded his head, walking me down the hallway.

"She's stable now, and conscious," he started, "but Edward, she's not taking care of herself. Her body is beyond exhausted. She's not getting enough sleep, and she's lost about twenty pounds over the last two months," he sighed. My eyes popped out of my head, and he rubbed my back comfortingly.

"I need you to talk to her, convince her to start taking care of herself. Otherwise, this is just going to keep happening. The human body is fragile, delicate. Without proper care, it crumbles," he sighed. I nodded in understanding, my feet itching to sprint the last few yards to her room.

"I'll try," I promised, already unsure of how I would accomplish this. Bella was so stubborn, and if she thought she was fine, she wouldn't listen to me.

"By the way, I already called Charlie, so he should be here soon," he informed me. My face hardened, but I nodded in understanding, stepping quietly into Bella's room. She was sitting up in her bed, looking so frail and weak. At the sound of my footsteps she turned to face me, a small smile gracing her lips.

"Hey," she said quietly. My heart shattered in my chest, and I quickly crossed over to her side, cupping her face in my hands.

"Don't you ever do that to me again, Bella Swan," I demanded, tears spilling uncontrollably onto my cheeks. "You're going to start taking care of yourself, even if I have to watch you every step of the way," I demanded. Her eyes began to water, and she lifted one tiny hand to rest it on top of mine, a single tear spilling onto her cheek.

"Okay," she agreed quietly. I released a heavy sigh and pressed my forehead to hers, closing my eyes to stop my tears.

"You scared me, Bells," I whispered. She reached up a hand to run it through my disheveled locks soothingly, and I opened my eyes, shocked at the amount of love I saw in hers.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. We stared at one another for a few moments, before I pressed a lingering kiss to her forehead, then stepped away when the door opened. A nurse entered the room carrying a clipboard, and asked me to step out for a minute so she could ask Bella a few questions. I left one more kiss on the back of Bella's hand, then slipped quietly out of the room, making my way back to the waiting room where Charlie Swan sat. My jaw clenched tightly at the sight of him, and he stood slowly to face me.

"This is your fault," I spat, unable to stop myself. He flinched at my accusation, but I kept going.

"If you hadn't been hiding this whole time, you would've seen Bella falling apart. When she needed you the most, you ran away and focused on your own needs, leaving her to fend for herself. I know Renee hurt you, Charlie, but you're a grown man, so start acting like it. That girl in there," I growled, pointing down the hallway, "means more to me than anything else in this entire world. And if anything happens to her, I'll make damn sure you suffer just as much as I do." I finished my little rant, my chest heaving with anger, my furious glare locked straight on Bella's father. He stood motionless for a moment, before his face shattered with pain, and he dropped his head into his hands.

"I know," he sobbed. "You're right, I was selfish. I was hurting so badly, that I never even thought about how any of this would be affecting Bella. She's just always been so strong and independent, that it never occurred to me to take care of her. I was so scared, Edward. One of my deputies called me to tell me that Bella had been picked up from the school in an ambulance, and he couldn't tell me why. I thought I'd lost her, Edward," he wailed. "I thought I'd lost her." He sank down into a nearby chair, and I took the spot beside him, putting an arm awkwardly around his shoulder for comfort. We sat like this for some time, before the nurse finally came to retrieve us.

"She's doing just fine, and we're going to release her here in a few minutes. We're just waiting for Dr. Cullen to sign the paperwork, then you can take her home." She smiled sweetly at us and turned to leave, while Charlie and I both breathed sighs of relief. I jumped to my feet and practically ran back to her room, with Charlie right on my heals. She smiled when I walked through the door, but it turned to a frown when her father came in behind me.

"Dad? What are you doing here?" she asked, confusion clouding her face. Charlie stepped toward her, containing his emotions for a moment before the floodgates reopened. His sobs broke free, and he wrapped her in his arms, rocking her gently back and forth.

"I'm so sorry, baby," he mumbled repeatedly, leaning back every once in awhile to kiss her hair, or forehead. He finally quieted, and pulled away to look Bella in the eyes.

"I'm gonna do better, baby, I promise," he said firmly, his face shiny with tears. Bella's own eyes began to water, and she nodded her head, smiling softly before reaching forward to hug him again. I watched the whole scene from her other side, relieved when my father finally came in.

"Well, Bella, it looks like you're all clear," he smiled. "But I'm giving you a doctor's note to take to school," he warned, his expression turning serious. "I don't want you to participate in practice for the next two weeks, and you need to consider giving up either your academic extracurriculars or your part-time job. You need to focus on getting your strength back right now, and that means taking some time out from everything else, okay?"

She nodded her head quickly, a small smile on her lips. My dad grinned at her and quickly signed his signature to a slip of paper, handing it to her to take to school.

A few minutes later we were back at the Swan's house, where my mother was waiting with dinner. She quickly shooed Bella out of the kitchen when she walked in, insisting that she come sit with me and her father on the couch. She brought out three trays that she quickly loaded with food, refusing to leave until she saw Bella take at least three bites.

Happy that she was eating, my mom excused herself to go back to our house, and we finished our meal in silence. Charlie and I made sure that Bella went up to bed at a decent hour, then I said my goodbyes and headed home.

Bella was going to be weak for awhile, but at least she was cooperating with us. I smiled tiredly to myself as I slid into bed, glad that the day was over. The next few weeks were going to be long and hard, but we'd get through them. I quickly drifted off to sleep, the first peaceful rest I had gotten in a long while. And it was all because of Bella Swan.

**A/N: Well? What did you think? Bella's going to have to spend a few weeks recuperating, but that just leaves more time for her to hang out with Edward =P Now send me some reviews!**


	18. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are the sole property of Stephanie Meyers.

**A/N: Soooo who's ready for things to start picking up between Bella and Edward? Weeeeell, you're gonna have to wait =P jkjk But it's gonna be a slow process, spread out over a few chapters. It's worth it though, I promise! Enjoy =)**

Chapter 17

**EPOV**

I knocked on Bella's door the next morning, bright and early. She pulled it open with a bright smile, laughing loudly when she saw what I held.

"You're really dedicated to this whole 'fatten Bella up' thing, aren't you?" she teased, taking the breakfast sandwich, hash browns, and bottle of orange juice from me. I just grinned widely at her and opened the passenger door for my car, letting her slide in before I jumped into the driver's seat. She dug into her food happily, letting out little moans of appreciation that shot straight to my groin. I tightened my grip on the steering wheel, attempting to get us both to school in one piece.

Bella was attacked the minute I pulled into the parking lot. It seemed like everyone on campus had heard about her fainting spell, and they all wanted to give her a hug and their wishes for a speedy recover in person. Well, almost all of them. I don't recall seeing Lauren and her posse around anywhere.

The morning flew by quickly, and I bought Bella a slice of pizza and an apple for lunch, which she took with absolutely no fuss. When school was let out for the day, she informed me that she was sticking with student council so her transcript isn't too thin at graduation, but she was going to talk to Mrs. Wells this afternoon to quit her job. She was still going to participate in the spring choir concert, but she wouldn't start rehearsals back up until after the winter break. I smiled proudly at her, and she rolled her eyes, giving me a hug goodbye before rushing off to practice. She wasn't allowed to participate for two weeks, but she insisted that as colonel, she at least had to sit in and watch.

Bella made it home shortly after five, a vast improvement from her previous routine. She ate dinner with Charlie at home, an agreement the two of them had come to. Dinner was going to be there time to catch up on each others days and stay in touch, so that neither of them felt overwhelmed again.

Now that Bella's schedule had been opened up, she was usually able to finish her homework by eight or nine, leaving just enough time for us to hang out at one of our houses for an hour or so and just watch some TV, something we hadn't done since I left for the summer.

I had decided not to push Bella for a relationship just yet. She was handling everything so well, and I wanted her to get her feet back underneath her before I threw a curve ball at her. I was pretty sure at this point that she returned my feelings at least a little, but I didn't want to put any pressure on her. When the time was right, I would talk to her about everything, and we'd take it from there. For now, I was just happy to have my best friend back.

It's been about two months since Bella collapsed on the field. She had gained back most of the weight, and she finally looked healthy again. The color was back in her cheeks, and her strength was returning. She'd performed with her team for the last few football games, and now they were gearing up for soccer. Today was our first game, and as luck would have it, we were playing La Push High School. I was almost giddy at the thought of facing Jacob Black on a soccer field, finally getting a chance to beat the shit out of him without getting in trouble for it.

Since the girls were going to perform during half-time, they were riding the buses with us. Bella was standing with Alice and Rose on the sidewalk, waiting to board, when the guys and I came out of the locker room. I took the long walk over to her to admire her outfit, happier than I had ever been that she was a dancer.

Bella was wearing black spandex pants that cut off at the knees, so tight they were practically painted onto her skin. Her tiny feet were encased in black jazz shoes, the color a stark contrast to her ivory skin. The top was the same stretchy material as her pants, showing off every delicious curve. It was held up by a thick band on one shoulder, while the other was left bare, just taunting my mouth with her deliciously naked flesh. The band at the top was a deep yellow, as was a thin strip around the bottom, while the main body of the top was a rich blue: the school colors. Her long, dark hair was pulled up into a bun at the back of her skull, with just a few loose tendrils curling to frame her heart-shaped face.

The girls noticed us just as we came up behind them, and I repressed a groan when Bella hugged her tight little body to me. She stepped back to smile brightly, and I grinned at the healthy glow in her cheeks, and the bright shine to her eyes.

"So, you ready for your first game?" she asked. I shrugged my shoulders, trying to seem nonchalant, but she saw right through me, as usual.

"You're gonna do great," she promised, giving my arm a small squeeze. The buses pulled up just then, and we all loaded up, the six of us quickly claiming the back seats. Bella pulled her knees up to her chest when she sat down, and leaned over so she was resting into my side. I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and laid my cheek on the top of her head, and we both quickly dozed off. We awoke shortly after as Emmett bellowed in our ears.

"We're here, sleepyheads! Get up!" He laughed at the startled expressions on our faces, and Rose smacked him on the back of the head before offering an apology. I quickly stood and grabbed my own bag and Bella's, then gestured for her to go before me. I have to admit, that was mostly just to get another glimpse of her dance pants, but hey, I'm a teenage guy after all.

We stepped off the bus and followed our friends into the stadium. I paused as I took in the size of the crowd that had already gathered in the bleachers, and Bella reached for my hand.

"You're gonna be great," she smiled, "trust me." I took a deep breath and continued forward, my nerves building up with every step.

It seemed like we had only just arrived when the girls had to leave, and coach called us up to start doing our warmups. I watched Bella on the sidelines as we went through the drills, only tearing my eyes away when completely necessary. When the crowd suddenly started shouting excitedly, we paused to watch the La Push team enter the field. Jacob was right up front, and he grinned cockily at me as they started their drills. Emmett punched me in the shoulder, and I turned to see him and Jasper grinning at me.

"Don't worry, Cullen, we'll help you hand him his ass," Jasper smirked. Emmett nodded emphatically and I smiled back, glad to have my friends here with me.

With the national anthem played, and the teams' rosters read, we all took our spots on the field. As soon as the ball was in motion, my mind shifted into autopilot, telling my body how to move without me having made any conscious decision to do so. I was vaguely aware of the cheers from both sides of the crowd. Every fiber of my being was focused on the task at hand.

In the blink of an eye, the first half was over, and we were tied with the La Push boys. We stumbled wearily into the locker room, passing around water as we mopped the sweat off our bodies. I listened to the music pulsing through the stadium, upset that I couldn't be out there watching Bella; that had long since been my favorite part of these types of sporting events. Coach followed us into the room, and paced back and forth telling us everything we already knew.

Just as we had caught our breath, we were shuffling back onto the field, ready to start the second half. My brain switched off once more, and I moved quickly around the field, my body working overtime. Coach was shouting from the sidelines to move our asses, as time ran down on the clock.

In slow motion, the ball was passed in my direction, and I drove it to the goal as an opening appeared. Without a second thought, I pulled back my right leg, and sunk the ball into the goal.

The buzzer sounded only seconds later, and the announcer informed us of our victory. I was instantly thrust up in the air on the shoulders of my teammates, as they cheered my winning goal. But my eyes were searching the crowd frantically for they only face I wanted to see.

I finally saw her on the edge of the crowd, and I took off in her direction as soon as I was lowered to the ground. When she came into view, I scooped her up in my arms spinning her around as I crushed her tightly to my chest. I set her back on her feet, and she laughed loudly, her deep brown eyes dancing with joy.

Before I knew what was happening, she had reached up on her toes, and crashed her lips to mine, her arms wrapped around my neck. I wasted no time in returning the kiss, savoring the feel of her lips against my own. Much too soon the kiss was broken, and she looked up at me bashfully through her lashes, her face a beautiful shade of pink. I grinned down at her, tossing her a quick wink before I was swallowed by another pair of arms.

"Oh, Edward, I'm so proud of you!" my mom cried. I hugged her back, then looked over her head to see my dad and Charlie standing only a foot away. They were both smiling proudly, and Charlie had his hand on the shoulder of a still-blushing Bella.

"You did great, son," my dad grinned, clapping me on the shoulder. He pried my mother off of me, and she glanced between Bella and me with a massive smile before moving out of the way. Charlie filled the space she had vacated, reaching out to shake my hand.

"Not bad, kid," he grinned, slapping me on the back. I chuckled with him, and stepped back to Bella's side. But despite my joy at having all of my loved ones surrounding me, after they watched me score the winning goal for my team, the next part was the highlight of my night.

"Congratulations, Cullen." I turned slightly to see a sullen Jacob Black, staring down at the ground while his father smiled beside him.

"You played a good game, Edward," Billy grinned. I smiled back at him and draped my arm over Bella's shoulder, just to irk Jacob.

"Thanks, Billy. Your boys played pretty well, too," I added, "just not quite well enough." My smile widened as anger flashed across Jacob's face, but Billy just chuckled beside him

"Well, maybe next time, huh?" he said. Charlie snorted, and every head turned to look at him.

"I'm sorry, Billy, but were you watching that game? There's no way your boys can take us with Edward in the game," he said proudly. Bella wrapped both arms around my waist, squeezing me tightly and smiling up at me, something that didn't go unnoticed by Jacob. His scowl darkened, and he mumbled his goodbyes before rushing back to the locker room, his father close behind him.

A few minutes later we climbed back onto the bus, and I settled into my seat with Bella. She leaned over the aisle to talk with Alice and Rose through most of the trip, and I listened to the guys recap the game while I watched her out of the corner of my eye. As we finally neared Forks the commotion started to die down, and Bella settled back into the seat. She sighed happily and closed her eyes, resting her head on my shoulder. I placed a gently kiss on her forehead, then hooked an arm around her waist, pulling her into my chest.

We won our first game. I scored the winning goal. I rubbed Jacob's face in it. My family was there to see it all. It was a perfect night, by most standards. But this, this right here, having Bella in my arms, this was my victory. And soon, I'd make it official.

**A/N: Yay Edward! Lol Just to make things clear, I have never played soccer and know very little about it. My boyfriend played for our high school, but I was a member of the dance team, and we were usually more focused on our routines than the game, so I learned very little. If there are any flaws, please forgive me and try to look past them. I wrote the scene to fit in with this story, not necessarily to be completely accurate. So send me some reviews, and let me know what you think!**


	19. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are the sole property of Stephanie Meyers.

**A/N: I decided it was time for BPOV, as this story is serious lacking in the 'girl time' department. So this chapter's pretty light and fluffy, but it's a nice break from the main plot. Enjoy =)**

Chapter 18

**BPOV**

The entire school was buzzing with talk about the winter formal. Last week's big win was now officially a thing of the past. The school's overall cheery mood was both refreshing and depressing at the same time. On one hand, it was nice to finally be out of my funk, laughing and talking with my peers like I used to. It was sweet to see the guys, hands sweating and voice cracking, daring to ask their dream date to the dance. That is, until I remember that I don't have a date, and then I'm back to depression. Well, I wouldn't go so far to say 'depression'. Disappointed, maybe. Yeah, that's how I feel: disappointed.

Edward had been very touchy-feely lately. Actually, he's been building it up ever since he got back from his summer vacation; but in the past week, he's been maintaining physical contact with me at all times, like he needed me to survive. Not that I'm complaining or anything. Not at all. Actually, I'm pretty damn thrilled about it. I just wish it could go further than a kiss on the cheek, or an arm around my waist, you know?

My disappointment deepened today, when my two best friends giddily told me about their plans to attend the dance. Emmett and Jasper had both 'popped the question', so to speak, so they were bubbling over with all of their excitement. I was happy for them, I really was. But I might be just a teensy-bit jealous. But just a little.

"Bella, you have to come with us to find our dresses," Rose begged. She and Alice were wearing matching pouty-faces, and there was really nothing I could do. So I sighed and nodded my head, acquiescing to her request.

"Great!" Alice exclaimed, clapping excitedly. "We can take a trip to Seattle on Saturday. The city's big enough for all three of us to find something fabulous, and we shouldn't have to worry about anyone else showing up in the same thing." I placed a hand on my tiny friend's shoulder, and turned her to face me.

"Whoa, there, Alice...all three of us? Aren't you forgetting one little detail? I'm not going to the dance," I explained. Her eyes widened in horror, and she let out a little squeak of surprise.

"What do you mean, you're not going!?" she cried, stomping her little foot.

"Exactly that: I'm not going. I don't have a date," I shrugged. She narrowed her eyes angrily, squaring her shoulders.

"How do you know that no one is planning to ask you? And when they do, you want to have the perfect dress already stored away in your closet, so you have one less thing to worry about. And _if_," she added, foreseeing my argument, "nobody asks you, then you'll just come with us. This is our senior year, Bella. You're not missing out on anything, capisce?" she crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow, daring me to argue with her. I sighed in defeat and nodded my head, following her to practice.

Three days later, I'm sitting in the backseat of Rose's BMW, singing along to chick rock at the top of my lungs with my friends. I may not be into the whole 'dress shopping' thing, but I had to admit I was having fun so far. The drive to Seattle went by impossibly fast, and before I knew it, I was being dragged through dozens of stores, and forced into hundreds of dresses.

Rose found her dress in the very first store, immediately announcing that she had no reason to keep looking, because that dress was _made_ for her.

Alice, unfortunately, was slightly harder to please. We had already been through more than half of the city, when she squealed in delight, twirling around in circles for us to 'ooh' and 'aah' at her. It really was perfect, and she looked amazing.

Despite my frequent protests, neither girl was allowing me to leave the city without purchasing a dress. I tried on every single one they handed me, each with less enthusiasm than the last. We were just about to head to the last store, when something in a shop window caught my eye.

"You guys!" I cried, not moving my eyes for fear it would vanish into thin air. "That's it." I pointed to the dress on display, and they both gasped their approval. They quickly ushered me in to try it on, and my eyes began to water the moment it slid over my body. I understood exactly how Rose felt: this dress was _made_ for me.

I spun slowly, admiring my reflection, only coming out of the dressing room when they threatened to barge in. As soon as I opened the door, they both threw a hand up to their mouths, eyes watering to match my own.

"Bells, you look beautiful," Alice whispered, stepping forward to admire my gown. Rosalie snorted, and we both turned to raise an eyebrow at her.

"She doesn't look beautiful," she started, "she looks fucking hot!" We all laughed at that, and I sadly slipped back into the dressing room to put my street clothes back on. When we reached the register, I almost put the dress back as the price flashed across the screen, but I just knew that I had to get it. Even if I didn't go the dance, a dress like that just couldn't be passed up.

We left the store in search of shoes and accessories, quickly finding both. Once we had dresses for reference, that kind of stuff just fell into place. With our arms loaded down with bags, we trudged back to the car, stuffing everything in the trunk.

We quickly agreed that we were all famished, and in desperate need of food. There was a little Italian restaurant in the shopping center we were in, so we walked over and got a table. The inside was warm and cozy, and I instantly melted into my seat, glad to give my feet a break.

The three of us read over our menus, quietly discussing our choices, then quickly placed our order when the waitress came back. Our food was out quickly, and my stomach rumbled at the aroma from my mushroom ravioli. We all dug into our food, enjoying it thoroughly, relatively quiet for the time being.

"So, what do think the chances are that Edward will take Bella and claim her right there on her living room floor when he sees her in that dress," Rose asked casually, looking at Alice with a straight face. I choked on the Coke I was drinking, glaring at her throughout my coughing fit.

"If he doesn't, I will," Alice winked, causing her and Rose to burst into a fit of giggles. I fought it at first, but finally had to join in. When our laughter quieted, I frowned down at the table.

"Why do you think he hasn't asked me yet?" I asked them, not needing to specify whom I was referring to. Alice patted my hand reassuringly, and Rose sighed.

"I think part of it is that he's been worried about you. Everyone knows that you mean the world to Edward, and he wouldn't do anything to hurt you. I think he just wanted to make sure you were healthy and happy before he started spouting out professions of love," Rose giggled. I rolled me eyes, but nodded in understanding.

"And the other part," Alice started, "is that he's Edward. He's always been your shy best friend, following in your shadow. Now that he's letting himself shine _with_ you, instead of _behind_ you, he's finally starting to feel comfortable being himself. But deep down, he's still that insecure little boy, and I think he's afraid that you'll reject him. And losing you is worse than death for that man," she finished. I thought over their words in silence for a few minutes, before I dropped my fork to the table and looked at them with determination.

"Alright, then I'll just have to give him a little push," I smirked. "How do I get him to make the leap?" My friends exchanged glances, smiling deviously at me.

"I thought you'd never ask." Rose tossed me a wink, and Alice rubbed her hands together, a faraway look in her eyes. I think I just created two monsters. But you know what? I'm okay with that.

**A/N: So, short and sweet. What did ya think? Leave me some reviews, and I'll leave you the next chapter....**


	20. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are the sole property of Stephanie Meyers.

**A/N: It's time for Bella to work her magic on poor, unsuspecting Edward. Enjoy =)**

Chapter 19

**BPOV**

"Are you sure about this?" I smoothed my hair down nervously, checking my reflection in the mirror one more time.

"Bella, chill. Edward will be eating out of the palm of your hand by the end of the day," Alice assured me. Rose reached forward to smooth a misplaced hair, then gave me a nod of approval.

"Go get 'em tiger." I rolled my eyes at her in the mirror, but couldn't help the butterflies of excitement that rose in my stomach. I stepped out of the girls' bathroom and into the busy hallway, walking much more confidently than I felt toward my locker. The students that were walking around aimlessly, waiting for the morning bell to ring, all stopped in their tracks and watched my entrance. I had to admit, it was quite an ego booster.

The girls had spritzed my hair with salt water and hairspray to give it that 'tousled' look, the messy waves hanging down to the middle of my back. My makeup was sparse, but dramatic. My dark brown eyes were lined with a dark, charcoal pencil, blended with a shimmery translucent powder to give me a soft, fresh look, topped off by a coat of black mascara. A soft stain was applied to my lips, just a shade darker than their natural color, and a light layer of gloss was smoothed on top. I was dressed in a simple navy blue cotton sundress, with a low neckline and thin spaghetti straps. The color made my skin appear to actually be glowing, and according to Rose, the 'implied innocence' of the loose cotton reeled men in. Alice had paired it with a simple, white cardigan (unbuttoned, of course), and brown t-strap sandals to play off our height difference. Apparently, that was a big turn-on for guys.

I was freezing my ass off as I approached my locker, but it was totally worth it. Edward was leaning against it, like every morning, with a paper coffee pressed to his lips. He turned his head slightly to scan the hallway, doing a double take when he caught a glimpse of me.

His eyes bugged out of his head, and he started coughing loudly, having choked on his coffee. I sauntered over to his side slowly, letting my hips swing a little as I went, allowing him to take me in. His eyes started at my feet, traveling slowly up every inch of my body, lingering on my chest for a second before connecting with my face. His jaw was slack, and his eyes were dancing with pure lust and primal desire, causing a flash of desire to course through my body. The corner of my mouth turned up in a smirk, and I quickly composed myself, putting on my 'innocent' mask.

"Hey, Edward," I chirped brightly. He was quiet for a second, only pulling his eyes away from my body when I turned to face him. His cheeks filled with blood, and I fought back a shout of victory.

"H-hey," he stuttered, struggling to keep his eyes on my face. I finished grabbing my books out of my locker, and turned to walk down the hallway. He followed after me like a little puppy, and right on cue, Mike Newton passed on the opposite side. He let out a low whistle, turning to walk backwards so he could continue ogling me. I felt Edward tense at my side, and I did a little mental happy dance.

"Lookin' good, Bella!" Mike shouted, starting a chorus of catcalls from nearly every guy in the hallway. I blushed furiously, and plastered on my innocent smile, shuffling quickly toward my class. Edward muttered curse words and threats under his breath, but quickly covered up his anger with a bright smile when we reached my classroom. I leaned up to kiss him lightly on the cheek, leaving a faint pink set of glossy lips, then scurried into my class. He stood in the doorway for a moment, a goofy smile on his face, until the warning bell sounded and he hurried off to class. I pulled out my phone and sent the girls a quick text, smiling as I slipped the phone back into my purse.

_Phase 1, complete ~B_

The morning passed quickly, with more catcalls and even a few phone numbers. I hurried into the lunch room, ready to initiate Phase 2. I headed straight to our table, where Rose and Alice were already seated, and they slid my lunch across the table to me.

It seemed a little ridiculous, but they insisted that the best way to move a man to action was to appeal to his groin, and that, apparently, consisted of eating a breakfast of banana and strawberries. I slowly peeled my banana, and slid just the very tip into my mouth, taking just a small bite so as not to be too obvious, just as the boys approached the table.

There was a strange choking sound, and I looked up to find two shocked expressions, and one pained. I'll give you one guess which one Edward was. I smiled at the three of them and the girls and I said hello, then I resumed eating my rather sensual fruits. Alice struck up a conversation about her history project, and we all chipped in, offering our advice.

This was, of course, a part of her masterful plan. If Edward contributed in the mundane conversation, then we needed to up the ante. If he remained fixated on me, then we had him right where we wanted him. Luckily for me, he didn't utter so much as one grunt throughout the entire half-hour.

When the bell to end lunch finally rang, Edward quickly rose and offered to walk me to class. I agreed happily, and we walked side by side through the hallways, neither of us saying a word. As we approached my classroom, I turned to look at Edward, licking my lips as I did. I give you my word that it was a completely innocent gesture, more a nervous habit than anything else. But I must say, the impact it had on Edward was priceless. He tripped over his Converse, barely catching himself on the wall, and let out a strangled 'goodbye' before turning and running down the hallway. I slipped into my classroom, another small victory in my pocket.

_Phase 2, complete ~B_

The final part of our plan came to fruition after school. Since football season was over, our dance team practices had been cut back significantly. We would still attend the occasional soccer game, but it was merely for practice. Mrs. Cope wanted us to save our energy, so that we could come back in the spring for competition season 'refreshed'. The girls and I took our seats on the bleachers, quietly watching the soccer team practice, while they gave me their final pieces of advice. With everyone clear on the final phase, we settled in to wait.

Only half an hour later (this is definitely not a good dress for Forks), the boys practice came to an end, and they walked slowly off the field. We walked over to the gate to greet them as they exited, and Edward's eyes lit up when he saw me. Just as he was about to approach me, Mike Newton jumped into his path, unknowingly putting my plan into motion.

"Hey, Bella!" he shouted, walking up to drape an arm over my shoulders. Edward tensed immediately, a stormy look crossing through his emerald eyes.

"You've been teasing this whole damn school all day," he laughed. "Why don't you go with me to the winter formal, and make me the envy of the entire male population of Forks High," he offered cockily. I pretended to be struggling with my words, shooting a pained expression at Edward. His face quickly took on an air of determination, and he stepped forward to shove Mike's arm off my shoulder.

"What the fuck, man!" Mike shouted, glaring angrily at Edward. Edward hooked his arm around my waist, pulling me tightly into his side, his warmth thawing my icy flesh.

"She's going with me," he growled at Mike. I pretended to be offended, stepping back with my hands on my hips, eyebrow cocked at him.

"Oh, am I?" I asked, holding his gaze. He looked unsure for a moment, before I caught a glint of humor in his eyes.

"Yeah, you are," he grinned, tugging me back to him. Mike stormed off angrily, muttering under his breath, and Edward glared down at me playfully.

"You are an evil, evil woman, you know that?" he chuckled.

"And you were but putty in my capable hands," I grinned. He laughed loudly, taking his newly-acquired Letterman jacket off his arm and draping it around my shoulders.

"You know, you could've just told me you wanted to go to the dance with me," he said, cocking an eyebrow at me as we followed our friends toward the parking lot.

"And deprive you of the chance to ask me? Never!" I teased, poking him in the side. He chuckled loudly once more, placing a kiss on my temple as he helped me into the car. I smiled brightly at him before he shut my door, jogging around to the driver's side door.

_Phase 3, complete. Mission successful ~B_

**A/N: Well, how did I do? I thought it was cute, but I'm a little biased lol As always, send me some reviews, and I'll get you another chapter =)**


	21. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are the sole property of Stephanie Meyers.

**A/N: Just a few chapters left! This chapter is the start of Bella and Edward's official relationship, so I hope you like it =)**

Chapter 20

**BPOV**

Edward pulled the Volvo into his driveway, quickly jumping out and rushing around to open the door for me. I climbed out slowly, tossing my bag over my shoulder and turning to face him.

"So...um...I guess I'll see you later?" he asked nervously. His eyes were still glued to my body, as they had been all day. I tilted his chin up with the tip of my finger, smirking as a blush rose to his cheeks.

"Bye, Edward," I giggled, turning to walk toward my house. When I reached my front door, I shot him one last glance, giggling once more when I found him standing in the same spot, watching me walk away.

I got my homework out of the way quickly, really starting to like my lighter schedule. With a little time to waste, I decided to make a nice dinner for me and Charlie. When he got home, we shared stories about our day over lasagna, and he retired to the living room to watch the Mariners. I didn't quite understand how he could still watch baseball, but I guess he loved it too much for anyone to take it away from him.

I trudged upstairs to take a long, hot shower, taking my time shaving my legs and scrubbing myself clean. It hadn't taken as long as I'd hoped, so I went through the trouble of blow-drying my hair, then rubbing on some lotion before I got dressed.

The clock on my bedside table read 10:30 p.m., but I was too keyed up to sleep. Thoughts of this afternoon continued to play through my head: Edward's arm around me, the possessive tone in his voice, the look on his face when I agreed to go with him. I couldn't help but smile as I recalled all of it, lying back on my bed.

My thoughts were soon interrupted by a light tapping on my balcony door, and I rushed over to it, eager to see Edward, although a little confused by his late visit. When I pulled the door open, he didn't even pause before cupping my face in his hands, and pressing his lips to my own. A jolt of electricity shot from my lips to my toes, and my hands reached up to twine in his hair, holding him close to me. One large hand slid down to the small of my back, pressing me flush against his body, and I nearly melted onto the floor. All to soon, the kiss was broken, and Edward rested his forehead against my own, our quick breaths mingling together.

"Sorry, but I couldn't wait any longer to do that," he apologized halfheartedly. I grinned up at him before stretching on my toes, connecting our lips once more for a sweet kiss.

"I'm glad." A heart-stopping smile stretched across his face, before it was replaced with a nervous frown.

"Bella, I know this is kind of fast, and we haven't even really gone out or anything, but we've known each other our whole lives, and you're my best friend, and I really don't want to wait anymore and--" I cut him off, giggling at his little rant, and placed a hand on his cheek.

"Edward, just spit it out," I grinned. He released a heavy sigh, and furrowed his eyebrows, no longer holding my gaze.

"Do you think we could make this, like, official?" he asked, chancing a glance up at me. When I only looked at him in confusion, he ran a hand nervously through his hair, and stared straight into my eyes.

"Bella, I've been in love with you my entire life, and I don't want to waste any more time than I already have. So will you be my girlfriend, officially?" he asked, not breaking eye contact. I stared at him in a stunned silence for a fraction of a second, before I launched myself at him, wrapping my arms around his neck and pressing my lips to his. He held me close, moving his mouth against my own, only stopping when I started to pull away.

"Was that a yes?" he asked, his breath coming out in short pants. I giggled lightly and nodded my head, still pressing my body against his. His smile nearly split his face in half, and he laughed exuberantly.

"Okay, well, I guess I can let you get some sleep now." I nodded sadly and he chuckled at me, turning my around by my shoulders and giving me a gentle shove towards my door. I turned around before I lost my nerve and called his name, smiling gently when he turned to face me.

"I love you, too," I said softly. He crossed the small space slowly, then leaned down to place one last kiss on my swollen lips, his green eyes glowing with happiness when he pulled away.

"Goodnight, my Bella," he whispered, then climbed the railings and crossed back over to his room. I closed my door and fell onto my bed, my head spinning with the evenings events. A large smile pulled at my lips, and I curled up into my comforter, allowing the memory of Edward's kisses to transfer into my dreams.

**********

The next few days flew by quickly. When I wasn't in class or at practice, I was with Edward. Which, I guess wasn't a huge change, since we had always been inseparable. The major difference was that now, well, we were really inseparable. As in, attached at the lips, inseparable. And they were very nice lips.

I guess seventeen years of pent-up lust (okay, maybe a few less than seventeen; we weren't exactly ogling each other in our Huggies) can really mess with your head. We had lost time to make up for, and we were definitely accomplishing our goal.

For the most part, it was mostly just prolonged make-out sessions. Of course, each one was a little longer, and a little more heated. A little kissing turned to kissing with tongue; that turned into some over-the-clothes touching; the next logical step, obviously, was shirt removal and/or under the bra.

Our little sessions got progressively more intimate, in a very short span of time. I thought I would be bothered by this. I mean, we had only technically been dating for about three weeks. For high school students, it was generally frowned upon to get this far, this fast. But for us, it just felt right. I never felt rushed to do anything with Edward, and he never tried to push me. Even after crossing the barrier of oral sex, I was still completely comfortable with our relationship. In fact, I was more than comfortable.

I craved Edward nearly every minute of the day. At first, it drove me crazy. Every morning when we went to our separate classes, my mind became a puddle of mush. I was given a slight break during lunch, but then went back to my dumbed-down state for the afternoon.

When school was out for the day, we spent every spare second together. Not all of it was spent groping and kissing; actually, we had little alone time to engage in our new favorite pastime. With Esme working from home, and my dad stopping by the house frequently while on patrol, we didn't want to risk getting caught in a compromising position. So most days we spent at the Cullens' house, doing homework and watching movies, then spent the evening with my dad, watching whatever game was on.

Of course, once our parents were in bed, we made excellent use of our joint tree-house; it made slipping into one another's rooms fairly easy.

Now that my brain was finally able to comprehend the fact that Edward was mine, it got a little easier to be away from him. I think part of my anxiety had come from some subconscious belief that this was all just a wonderful dream, and I'd wake up tomorrow to find out that Edward and I were still 'just friends'. It still wasn't fun being away from Edward, but I didn't quite feel like I was suffocating without him anymore.

Oddly enough, however, this didn't minimize my craving for him. If anything, it made me want him more. He was really mine now, and I relished the ability to claim his lips anytime I felt the urge. Now that my 'urges' were getting bolder, I wondered when it would be socially acceptable for me to claim him _entirely_, or vice-versa. In the midst of one of my inner debates on the subject, I made the mistake of spilling the beans to Rose and Alice.

"You two still haven't done it?" Alice shrieked, a look of utter shock on her face. I shushed her quickly, glancing around the mall to make sure nobody was listening. They had insisted we spend the day together, since we had all been too wrapped up in our boyfriends to have any 'girl time' lately.

"Alice, it's only been three weeks. You make it sound like its been years," I rolled my eyes.

"Bella, that's because for you two, it _has_ been years," she pointed out.

"That doesn't count, Alice. We've only been official for three weeks. What was I supposed to do? Jump him that first night?" She gave me a 'duh' look, and Rose snorted on my other side.

"I jumped Emmett that first night. Remember, when we kidnapped you?" she asked, as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

"You guys screwed after my kidnapping?" I cried. Her and Alice both laughed loudly, and I glared at them both in turn.

"Honey, you and Edward were the only ones not screwing that night," Alice giggled.

"But Rose, you guys had only known each other for like, a week!" I pointed out. She shrugged her shoulders in a 'so what' motion.

"He was hot, I was horny. What's not to understand?" she asked. I sighed heavily, frustrated with the answers they were giving me.

"Look, Bells," Alice started, smiling gently at me, "you love Edward and he loves you, right?" she asked.

"Of course," I responded automatically.

"And will you ever want anyone else?" she continued.

"No. I've always known Edward was the right guy for me. It just took me awhile to admit it to him," I shrugged. Alice smiled at me, linking her arm with mine.

"Then what are you confused about? If you love him, and you're sure that what you guys have is real, then go for it. Having sex is the most intimate act a couple can perform; if you're with the right person, it will only make your relationship stronger." I looked to Rose, who had claimed my other arm, and she nodded in confirmation. Alice's words tumbled through my mind for a minute, and my decision was finally made.

"I think we have some shopping to do," Rose laughed. Alice squealed excitedly, and the two of them promptly hauled me into the first lingerie store they saw.

We finally left the store over an hour later, and four shopping bags heavier, and I grinned wickedly to myself while stashing the bags in the trunk of Alice's Porsche. Oh, yeah. I was definitely ready.

**A/N: Naughty little Bella...lol Ok, you know the drill: send me some reviews, and you'll get the next chapter =P**


	22. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are the sole property of Stephanie Meyers.

**A/N: Just a few chapters left! This one covers the big dance, and it does contain a lemon, so be forewarned. I tried to make it sweet and romantic, opting to save the dirty stuff for a different story; it just doesn't fit in this one. As always, I will mark the beginning and the end of the lemon, so if you prefer to skip ahead you won't miss any plot development. Enjoy =) **

Chapter 21

**BPOV**

I met the girls at Alice's house the morning of the dance. It was just the winter formal, but Alice went all-out regardless. I was shoved into her bathroom and ordered not to come out until I was scrubbed thoroughly from head to toe, and when I made it back to her room she went to work on me with a bottle of shimmering body lotion. When she had completed the process with Rose and then herself she dragged us off to a salon in Port Angeles, where we had our hair done and received manicures and pedicures. She rushed us back to her large bedroom, and I was forced into a chair where I remained for what felt like hours, while she applied dozens of products to my face. Once again, Rose was pocked and prodded after me, and lastly Alice.

The afternoon flew by thanks to our eight hour beauty routine. In no time at all, I was handed a shopping bag and a garment bag, and told, rather forcefully I might add, to get dressed without ruining my hair and makeup.

I opened the shopping bag first, which contained one of the many pieces of lingerie I had purchased. It was a black lace set, with a strapless bra and thong. After a little wiggling I managed to get them into place, then unzipped the garment bag to reveal the rest of my wardrobe.

My dress was a peacock blue, satin floor-length gown with a short train that lightly brushed across the floor as I walked. Their was a band of peacock and silver beading just below the bust line, as well as on the shoulder straps. The dress clung to my body, the silk accentuating every curve. I wore simple three-inch silver strappy heals, and a delicate silver choker with a peacock teardrop pendant around my neck, completing the look.

With my outfit complete, I turned to admire my friends. Rose wore a vibrant red strapless dress that clung to her body like cellophane, ending at the middle of her thighs. Her feet were strapped into five inch matching red stilettos, accentuating her long, toned legs.

Alice had on a deep purple strapless dress, with an empire waist and a black chiffon overlay. The bust was slightly pleated, and a large black sequined flower was pent just off center. It hit just above her knees, flaring out adorably, a perfect match for her playful personality. She paired it with four inch black peep-toe heels that made her small frame seem slightly more average.

The doorbell rang just as we were finishing up, and Alice ran around doing final touch-ups before deeming us ready to go. We made our decent down her staircase in a single file line, with Alice in front and me pulling up the rear.

All of our parents were standing in her living room, saving us the hassle of having to make multiple stops. But the only person I had eyes for was standing at the base of the stairs, his jaw slack and his deep green eyes freely roaming my body.

I did my own inspection of Edward as I slowly maneuvered the stairs, thoroughly enjoying what I saw. He was dressed in a black, two-button tux that was cut perfectly to his frame, with a white undershirt and a black tie, already loosened at the base. He went without a vest, but Alice had given him a peacock blue silk pocket square, a perfect match to my dress, to tuck into his tuxedo pocket. His hair was beautifully disheveled, as always, and his freshly shaved face was practically glowing with love as he held a hand out for me. I took it gently, stepping up to his side, and placed a soft kiss on his lips. His free hand stroked my jaw sweetly, before he pulled away to look at me.

"You look absolutely breathtaking, Bells," he said softly. Heat filled my cheeks, but I held his gaze, smiling up at him.

"You clean up pretty well yourself," I teased, earning myself my favorite lopsided grin. Our moment of bliss was interrupted seconds later by a camera flash. Edward turned an annoyed face to his mother, and I couldn't help but giggle.

"I'm sorry, but it was such a sweet picture," she sighed, not in the least bit remorseful. The six of us posed for dozens of pictures after that, all together, in pairs, just the guys, just the girls, and individually. Finally satisfied, our parents allowed us to leave, following us onto the porch. I craned my neck over everyone else, searching for my dad, and felt a tap on my shoulder. He stood behind me, an odd look in his eyes, and spread his arms out for a hug. I tucked myself into his arms, hugging him tightly, before careful not to get makeup on his shirt.

"You looked beautiful, Bells. So grown up," he sighed, smiling softly at me. I rolled my eyes but smiled back, and his expression became more closed off.

"I, um, well..." he started uncomfortably. "I just wanted to let you know that I...uh...am planning on heading over to Billy's tonight. There's a game on, and the weather's supposed to be nice this weekend. I don't really know what this whole 'winter formal' thing entails, but I thought that you kids might like to have an adult-free house to come hang out at. You know, instead of having to go to any of the _other_ parties in town," he hinted. "I won't be back until Sunday night, so you won't have to worry about me being in you kids' business," he finished. He looked at all of us awkwardly, shrugging his shoulders in summary. I grinned widely at him, and couldn't help the chuckle that escaped.

"Don't worry, dad. We won't go to any crazy parties and participate in all of the underage drinking and accompanying orgies," I laughed. His cheeks burned bright red, but he looked surprisingly relieved, and I couldn't help but laugh harder at the thought that I had nailed his fears head-on.

"Alright, alright. Just be careful. Now, go. Have fun," he smiled. Alice and Rose both gave him a quick hug, and the guys all shook his hand. I tossed him a small wave, then took Edward's arm, allowing him to lead me to his car. Only, it wasn't parked in the driveway. Emmett led Rosalie to his Jeep and Jasper led Alice to his Ford F250, but Edward's Volvo was nowhere in sight. What was parked in its place, was a shiny black sports car, just screaming for someone to get a speeding ticket in it.

"Carlisle's letting you drive the Vanquish?" I squealed. "I thought it was just a special occasion car," I said, my voice full of awe. I stroked the flawless surface as Edward led me to the passenger side.

"This _is_ a special occasion," he smirked, opening my door. I slid carefully into the seat, making sure my dress was in before Edward closed the door. He jogged around the front while I settled into the cool leather, then he slipped in behind the wheel. The car purred to life, and Edward flashed me a grin, speeding off into the night.

"So, did Charlie just give us permission to have a party in his house?" Edward grinned, glancing sideways at me.

"Among other things," I trailed off, watching him out of the corner of my eye. His face paled and his eyes widened, his body suddenly becoming stiff. His eyes quickly raked over my body before returning to the road, his hands now squeezing the steering wheel in a death grip. I repressed a chuckle as we continued to fly through the darkened streets of Forks, heading toward The Lodge. It was the only nice restaurant in town, and therefore the venue for all the school dances.

Edward quickly slid into a parking spot, then came around to help me out of the car, placing his hand over mine on his forearm. We walked side by side toward the entrance where our friends all waited, with Edward tossing not-so-subtle glances at my body. The six of us walked through the main hallway, entering the ballroom that was already filled with students.

Music thumped through the speakers around the room, every surface covered in white string lights and all varieties of white flowers. There was a long refreshment table along the entry wall, and round tables lining the sides of the rooms. We quickly claimed a table to set down our purses and they guys keys and phones, then hurried out onto the dance floor.

Edward pulled me close to his body, leaving little space between us as he gripped my hips in his large hands. I ran my hands up his chest, finally settling them behind his neck, as our bodies swayed to the pulsing music. His eyes locked with mine, sparkling from the decorative lights, and the hunger in them was undeniable.

We remained locked in a tight embrace throughout the next few songs, only stopping when we were both in dire need of something to drink. I sank down into a chair, our friends having already come back to the table, while Edward went to get us some drinks.

"So, Bella," Rose piped up, leaning across the table, "it looks like you've got Edward on a one-track mindset tonight." She smirked at the blush in my cheeks, and the guys both made catcalls while Alice giggled loudly. They all calmed down when Edward returned, but he noticed their suppressed amusement and shot me a confused look. I shook my head to tell him he didn't want to know, and quickly downed the drink he handed me.

The six of us piled back onto the dance floor together shortly after, taking breaks every once in awhile to rest or rehydrate. We had been at the dance for nearly three hours when we started to run out of energy.

"I think I'm ready to head out," Rose yelled over the music, fanning herself with one hand. Emmett waggled his eyebrows at her, but she just laughed and settled into his side. Alice quickly agreed that she'd had enough, and I followed suit.

"So, are you guys coming back to my place, or...." I trailed off, praying that they would decline. I loved my friends, I really did. But tonight was about me and Edward.

"Actually, our parents are going to some benefit in the city tonight, so I think we're all going to head back to my place," Rose replied. I did a little mental victory dance, and she tossed me a wink, knowing exactly what I was thinking. We quickly said our goodbyes, and piled into our separate cars. Edward and I rode silently to my house, and he killed the engine after parking it in his parents' garage.

"You know, my parents decided to spend the weekend in Seattle," Edward said, breaking the silence. "They said they needed some 'alone time', and rented a suite for three days." He glanced over at me out of the corner of his eye, and I leaned over to place a kiss on his cheek before opening my door.

"Great, we can stay here then," I replied. I lifted up my dress and walked over to the door, stepping quietly into the mudroom. Edward followed right behind me, and I led the way to his bedroom. I quickly excused myself to the bathroom, and turned on the sink as I stared at my reflection.

Now that the evening was laid out before us, my nerves had started making themselves known. I knew that I was ready for this, that wasn't the problem. But I had to admit, even with Edward's obvious appreciation for my appearance, I was more than a little nervous about baring myself completely in front of him. I quickly turned off the sink and started pulling the pins out of my updo, letting my hair cascade in loose curls down my back. Before I could lose my nerve, I slipped off my shoes, and stepped back into Edward's bedroom.

He was seated on the edge of the bed, pulling his tie from around his neck, his coat draped over his desk chair and his shoes already lying on the floor. He looked up when I entered the room, the love in his eyes instantly brushing aside my anxieties. I walked slowly over to him, then set my shoes on the floor and turned around, lifting my hair off my neck.

"Would you mind? I can't reach it," I asked. He cleared his throat nervously, then reached up one tanned hand to grip the tiny zipper, sliding it slowly down my back. The backs of his fingers brushed lightly against my skin as his hand traveled downward, the zipper finally stopping just at the dip in my lower back. I let my hair drop back down, and turned back to face him, one hand holding up the front of my dress.

"Thank you," said softly, placing my free hand on his chest. He closed his eyes briefly, then opened them to reveal a pained expression.

"Bella, we don't--" he paused to clear his throat, "we don't have to do anything. I can wait until you're sure you're ready," he insisted, reaching up to cup my face with one hand. I smiled gently at him, and placed my hand over his.

"Edward, I want this. I want _you_. Please," I whispered. The last word did him in, and he swiftly bent down to capture my lips with his own.

*******Start of Lemon*******

That familiar tingle spread throughout my body, and I dropped my hand to allow my dress to pool at my feet, then reached my hands up to tangle them in his hair. His hands found my waist, and he jerked back at the feel of bare skin. Lust-filled eyes traveled slowly over my nearly-naked body, and a strangle cry spilled off of his lips.

He crushed my body to his, connecting our lips once more, and my fingers traveled down to start working on the buttons of his shirt. He pulled his hands away from my flesh long enough to let my slide his shirt off his shoulders, then lift his undershirt over his head. Our lips smashed back together, and I trailed my fingers lightly over the muscles of his chest and abs, causing him to shiver slightly at my touch.

My next target was his belt, which I made quick work of, his pants soon joining my dress on the floor. In one swift motion, I reached a hand behind my back and unclasped my bra, letting it fall from my body. Edward groaned as our bare flesh met between us, stepping back to admire the view. He studied me slowly for a moment, and when his eyes lifted back up to my own, the tenderness I found brought tears to my eyes.

He placed his hands gently on my waist, pulling back the blankets on his bed before spinning me around, and settling me gently in the center. He crawled slowly over my body, sliding me up so that my head rested on the pillows, and covered my body with his own.

I rubbed my thighs together to soothe the dull ache that was spreading through my center, and Edward closed his lips over mine while one talented hand traveled over my flat stomach, coming to rest on my naked chest. His fingers gently massaged the tender skin, slowly building in intensity. He pinched the nipple between his thumb and forefinger experimentally, earning a squeak of pleasure from me.

I groaned in protest when he stopped his ministrations, but was silenced when his hand traveled down to the black lace band of my thong. His fingers ran lightly beneath the edge, teasing me just a little, before he quickly slid them down my legs, tossing it off the end of the bed. His eyes followed the trail back up my legs, lingering on my core before moving further up. I tugged at his boxers impatiently, and he readily obliged, tossing them in the general direction of the floor.

My hooded eyes zeroed in on his member, trying to judge whether or not I could possibly fit the whole thing inside my body. I reached a hand out tentatively, stroking just the tip with my fingers. He groaned above me, his eyes closed in pleasure, and I wrapped my hand more confidently around the base, stroking his full length one time.

His body shook on top of me, and his own hand skimmed up my thigh, coming to rest above my sensitive flesh. He looked into my eyes for permission, and when I nodded in response, he ran the tips of his fingers lightly along my folds, watching me for my reaction. I jerked in surprise, then felt my eyes roll back into my head, overcome by pleasure. His hand slid along my wetness a few more times, spreading it around, then he slid one long finger into my core.

I moaned into the silent room, and he began to pump his finger in and out, causing my body to jerk each time. When I thought I would die from the intense feelings ripping through my body, he inserted a second finger, and pressed his thumb to my little bundle of nerves. A dozen colors exploded behind my eyelids, and I screamed out his name as my orgasm overcame me. My body convulsed beneath his, spilling warm liquid onto his hand.

When I finally stilled, he pressed his lips against mine, and I kissed him with every ounce of strength I had left. He pulled away slowly, maintaining I contact, then looked at his hand curiously before slipping the dripping fingers into his mouth. A groan escaped his lips as he licked them clean, and my center was instantly drenched once more. I leaned up to capture his lips again, slipping my tongue into his mouth to taste myself on his lips. He returned my kiss passionately, massaging my tongue with his own, slowly lifting his body to rest between my legs. He pulled back from our kiss, meeting my eyes, both of us breathing heavily.

"Are you sure?" he asked, stroking my cheek with his hand. I smiled softly at him, and pressed a gentle kiss to his chest.

"Yes," I replied confidently. He held my eyes for a moment longer, then reached over to grab something out of his bedside table. His fingers tore open the box of condoms, and he shrugged as I watched him curiously.

"It never hurts to be prepared," he smirked, taking one little foil package from the box, then tossing it back into the drawer. He tore open the wrapper, then slid the condom down to the base of his dick, positioning himself carefully at my entrance. He waited until I met his gaze, then placed a soft kiss on my lips.

"Please tell me if I hurt you," he begged, resting his forehead on mine. I nodded my head in assurance, and he slowly pushed his length inside of me.

A searing pain shot through my core, and I couldn't stop the cry of pain that slipped out of my lips. Edward stilled on top of me, placing small kisses across my cheeks and forehead. When the burning pain began to fade, I lifted my hips up to urge him to move. He pulled out slowly, then pushed forward once more, repeating the process until the pain melted into pleasure.

I wrapped my legs around his waist, moans of pleasure bursting from my throat. Edward groaned on top of me, his lips tracing a path down the column of my throat. We moved in unison, my hips thrusting up to meet his, an endless stream of profanities spilling from our mouths. A slow coil began to build in the pit of my stomach, and I knew I couldn't hold out much longer.

"Bella, cum with me, love," Edward murmured, stealing a kiss from my parted lips. His words tipped me over the edge, and my body shook from the force of my orgasm, Edward following close behind me. He collapsed on top of my, supporting most of his weight on his forearms.

After a few moments of silence to allow our breathing to slow, Edward pulled himself out of my core, causing both of us to groan in protest, and rolled over onto his back beside me. He carefully pulled off the condom, tossing it in the trashcan beside his bed, then pulled me into his side. Our skin was still slick with sweat, but he tugged the blanket up to cover us, sighing in contentment.

*******End of Lemon*******

We were both quiet for awhile longer, and I finally tilted my head to see if he was still awake. He was gazing down at me, his eyes full of adoration, and I instinctively stretched to press our lips together for a lingering kiss.

"I love you, Bella," he murmured softly, rubbing the pad of his thumb gently over my cheek. I closed my eyes and leaned into his hand, enjoying the moment of bliss.

"I love you, Edward," I answered, resting my head against his chest. His fingers quickly found my hair, and he ran them through it soothingly, lulling me to sleep. The last piece of my world snapped into place, and I slept peacefully in his arms.

**A/N: Weeeeeell? How'd I do? I tried to make it more romantic than raunchy, so I hope you liked it. I've only got three chapters left, so this little story will soon be coming to an end. In the meantime, leave me some reviews, and I'll try to update quickly =)**


	23. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are the sole property of Stephanie Meyers.

**A/N: Alright guys, this is the second to last chapter. This will pretty much wrap everything up, and the last chapter will be the icing on the cake, so to speak. I decided to give this one to Edward since we haven't heard from him in awhile, then we'll wrap it up with Bella, k? =P **

Chapter 22

**EPOV**

The rest of our weekend flew by much too quickly. Bella and I enjoyed our 'freedom' thoroughly, and in nearly every room of both houses. I couldn't get enough of her.

The vision of her descending the staircase in that silky blue dress was burned into my mind. Then to find out what she had been wearing beneath it....well, let's just say that I was lucky I lasted as long as I had. I couldn't help but feel like I had won some sort of cosmic lottery. There was just no way that I deserved her, and yet here she was, offering me her heart and her body like that was the entire reason she had been born. And you know what? Maybe it is. I'm a firm believer that these things don't just 'happen'. Bella and I were made for one another, literally.

We finished up the fall semester that week, and enjoyed a long Christmas break with our friends. It had become a routine of ours to meet at one of our houses every Friday night, just to hang out, watch movies, and let the stress of the week go.

The holidays passed quickly, and before we knew it, school had started back up. Bella's family scandal was officially old news, and she was no longer the talk of the school. With her social status reaffirmed, Lauren and her lapdogs lost their leverage, and went back to mumbling behind her back. Lauren would still occasionally smile flirtatiously at me in class, or brush against me in the hallway, but she seemed resigned to the fact that I was Bella's. No one even batted an eye when we officially became a couple, having assumed that we were one from the beginning. The only person who really seemed to notice was Mike, who sulked for a week or two before latching on to Jessica Stanley.

We were now only a few weeks away from graduation, and senioritis had definitely taken over. Our teachers had, for the most part, been pretty understanding, and had stopped assigning homework after the finals.

The girls' time on the dance team had come to an end just a few weeks prior when they won Sweepstakes at competition, going out with a bang. Soccer season was, of course, long past, so now we all spent our afternoons at one of our houses, split off into couples, or enjoying a rare sunny day outside.

Today, we were all sitting on blankets that we had spread out in the grass at a small meadow we had found on our last bout of good weather. The girls had packed a picnic basket full of snacks, and we relaxed with our significant others, watching the passing clouds.

"Hey guys?" Bella asked, getting everyone's attention. My legs were stretched out in front of me, and I was leaning back on one hand, my other running through Bella's hair as her head rested on my lap. Our friends were all in similar positions, the six of us sitting in a loose circle

"What's going to happen to us after graduation?" The air in the meadow became weighed down with her question, and we all remained quiet for a few minutes. None of us had really gotten around to talking about our plans for college, except with our significant others, trying to avoid the somber discussion. It seemed that it was inevitable now, with graduation just a few weeks away.

"Well, Emmett and I are staying here in Washington," Rose started. "We've already been accepted at the University of Washington in Seattle. I'm thinking about going for mechanical engineering, and Emmett's going for business. We thought it would be cool to open up our own auto shop, you know?" We all smiled encouragingly at her, as she shared a look with Emmett.

Rose was apparently a damn good mechanic, something I never would have guessed, and had earned quite a bit of money over the last few months doing small repairs on other students' cars. And despite Emmett's size and obvious athletic capabilities, he was a whiz with numbers. The two of them would make a pretty great team.

"What about you guys?" Bella asked, looking at the little pixie.

"We actually both just got our acceptance letters from NYU," Alice said excitedly. "It's going to be amazing! They have a great design program. I've been talking to Esme a lot about getting into interior design, and it sounds perfect for me. And Jazzy is going for architecture, so who knows? Maybe we'll start our own firm some day," she finished, grinning up at her southern boyfriend. The two couples looked to Bella and I expectantly, and she sat up to face them.

"Edward and I have been talking about going to Dartmouth since we were in elementary school," she giggled, lacing her fingers in mine. "Edward's going for computer programming, of course, and I'm studying English. I'm hoping to get into writing, but we'll see how it goes," she shrugged, looking down at the blanket. I frowned at her, but Emmett spoke before I could.

"Bells, I've read your stuff, and you're amazing. You need to have more faith in yourself," he said firmly. She grinned at our bear of a friend, and leaned back into my chest. I placed a gently kiss on her temple, wrapping my arms around her chest.

"So, that's it then? We're all splitting up? When will see each other?" Bella asked, her eyes starting to well up. Rose and Alice both quickly jumped up, rushing to hug her, tears already streaming down their faces. The guys and I put our arms around their shoulders for comfort, and held them while the talked.

"Of course that's not the end of it!" Rose cried. "You guys will come back all the time," she insisted. "All of your families live here, so you can't stay away forever, right?" she pleaded. Bella and Alice both sniveled, nodding their heads in confirmation.

"And we'll see each other tons!" Alice whimpered. "You and Edward won't be far from us, so we'll visit every chance we get. And anytime we can get a long weekend or a holiday, we'll come back to Washington to see Rose and Emmett. Plus, there's email and calling and texting...we'll be just fine," she declared. The three girls leaned forward to hug one another, their tears starting to slow down. Once they had all composed themselves, we all returned to our blankets and reclined once more.

"So," Rose started, looking between the four of us, "when do you guys leave?" Alice sighed heavily, and Jasper rubbed her shoulders.

"Me and Alice have to be there for orientation by August 2nd. We're going up there a couple weeks early to get our apartment set up, so that leaves us with about a month and a half in Forks after graduation," Jasper drawled. Rose nodded sadly, then turned to us.

"What about you guys?" Bella looked up at me, her eyes started to mist up again, so I kissed her forehead and answered for her.

"My program starts a little early, so we have to be up there by July 6th to get everything set up before I start. We're celebrating Independence Day here with our families, one last big barbecue, then we're heading out," I sighed. "So we have about a month after graduation." Rose nodded once more, then leaned back into Emmett.

"We're going to be fine," she said to no one in particular. "We just have to keep in touch. We can text all the time, and call each other every week. We'll be fine."

None of us responded, choosing instead to let her words hang in the air, neither being denied or confirmed. We settled into our own quiet thoughts, remaining in the meadow until the sun began to fall. The separation would be hard, there was no doubt about it. But Rose was right: we're going to be fine.

**A/N: Aww =( So that was kinda sad, but I promise the next chapter will be much happier. Just click that little blue button, and I'll wrap this thing up =P**


	24. Chapter 23

Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are the sole property of Stephanie Meyers.

**A/N: Are you ready for the finale? Well, here it is! I hope you guys liked my little story. Thank you so much for all of the reviews; you guys are the best. Enjoy =D**

Chapter 23

**BPOV**

Today was the big day. I smoothed out my little yellow sundress, then slipped into the bright blue robe. It took me a few minutes to straighten out my sashes and medals, then I grabbed my cap and took one last look in the mirror. Today was my last official day as a high school student, then I would be free to start my life with Edward.

"Bells? You ready?" my dad knocked on my door lightly, and I hurried over to open it. He was dressed nicer than I'd seen him in a long time, wearing a dark blue button-down shirt with jeans and a pair of Doc Martens. He smiled brightly at me, his eyes tearing up, and I shook my head.

"Oh, no you don't!" I chastised, grabbing his hand to lead him downstairs. He locked the door behind us, then we climbed into his cruiser, making our way toward the school. The parking lot in front of the auditorium was packed, so we had to park further out and walk up to the front. I hurried off to join the rest of the students huddled inside, quickly finding all of my friends.

"Hey, you," I said, reaching up to give Edward a kiss. He looped his arm around my waist, grinning down at me.

"Hey, you look beautiful," he complimented. I beamed up at him, then greeted the rest of my friends, all of us wearing matching expressions of joy and sorrow. The principal quickly rushed into the room, asking us to get into line, and Edward gave me a quick kiss before heading toward the front. I quickly slipped into my space behind Jessica Stanley, and pinned my cap into place as we were guided to our seats.

The ceremony moved slowly, and I managed to make it through my valedictorian speech without embarrassing myself. I watched Edward throughout the entire thing, and he smiled proudly up at me. The procession to receive our diplomas went by quickly with such a small class, and before I knew it, we were all huddled in front of the stage, tossing our caps into the air. I quickly found Edward in the crowd, and he scooped me up in his arms, spinning me around in a circle.

"We did it," he murmured, his lips against mine. I giggled softly, only pulling away when a throat cleared behind us.

Esme was beaming happily at us, overjoyed that we were finally together. Carlisle smile proudly at his son, and Charlie glowered at us, a small hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his lips, betraying his happiness. They all offered us their congratulations, taking turns hugging both of us.

"I'm so proud of you, Bells," my dad whispered when it was his turn. I pulled back to look at him, and he wiped a tear from his cheek. My own tears spilled over, and I scrubbed at them furiously.

"I can't believe you graduated," he sighed. "It seems like just yesterday I was showing you off to Esme and Carlisle." Carlisle chuckled behind us, and my dad shot him a warning look, which he promptly ignored.

"Yes, and if I remember correctly, you were promising me that it was your life's goal to keep Edward far away from your precious Bella," he laughed. Edward smirked in amusement, while I shot my dad a playful glare.

"I might have been a tad protective at first," he defended himself, causing me to let out a very unladylike snort. He poked me in the side, earning a yelp of surprise, which brought a wide grin to his face.

"Well, what do you say we get back to the house?" Esme asked, ready to set up for our party. She had insisted on throwing a graduation party for Edward and I and our friends, despite the fact that the had few friends in school. We couldn't deny her request, so she went into planning mode, making sure everything was ready to go.

The five us quickly rushed back to the Cullens' house. Our friends arrived just after Edward and I had put our caps and gowns up in his room, and we all went to work setting everything out. My dad and Carlisle fired up the grill, while the guys set out some folding tables and chairs. The girls and I helped Esme put together the trays of food, then carried them outside to set up. In no time at all, the backyard and house had been transformed ready to start accepting guests.

The Cullens' place quickly filled up with the students of Forks High and their families. It seemed like the entire town had come out for our party, which was probably accurate. I sat on Edward's lap in one of Esme's wicker patio chairs, laughing hysterically as Emmett attempted to wow us with his celebrity impersonations.

The party was a blast. People were dancing all over the backyard, and mingling with one another around the food tables. My dad and Carlisle were bragging about their meat-grilling skills, and Esme played the perfect hostess. My friends and I laughed continuously, enjoying one of our last chances to be carefree. The next month would be spent packing and getting ready for the move, and then we wouldn't be back in Forks until Christmas. It was going to be hard to leave my dad, and Carlisle and Esme as well. But I was glad to be moving forward with Edward, getting started on our futures.

As the sun started to sink behind the trees, Jasper went to plug in the strands of lights that we had strung out that afternoon. The little white bulbs glowed brightly above our heads, contrasting beautifully against the backdrop of trees in criss-cross patterns around the yard. The music had been changed to something slightly softer for the evening, and Edward extended his hand pulling me into the yard to dance,

He wrapped an arm around my waist, placing his hand on the small of my back, while he reached the other one up to hold one of my hands up to his chest. I rested my head beside our hands, and listened to the sound of his heartbeat while we swayed from side to side, completely content in that moment.

As the song wound down, Edward slowed us to a stop, tilting my chin up with his index finger. He gazed into my eyes silently for a moment, his own emerald orbs churning with emotion.

"I love you, Bella, more than anything in the world," he whispered, his eyes still holding mine. Tears built up against my lids as I returned his gaze, a soft smile spreading across my lips.

"And I love you," I responded. "Always." He bent to graze his lips lightly against mine, then again with more pressure. He pulled away much too soon, and turned to pull me back to the porch. I followed behind him, my brow furrowing in confusion when he cleared his throat loudly.

"Excuse me? Can I have everyone's attention, please? Someone turned down the music, and every head turned in our direction. I continued to watch him, wondering what was going on in that handsome head of his. My questions were answered just moments later, when he dropped onto one knee before me, pulling a small black box from his pocket. My eyes widened in shock, and a small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as gasps rang out through the crowd.

"Bella, I've known you all my life. You've been by my side, every step of the way, no matter how embarrassing it might have been to be seen with me at times," he chuckled, a nervous grin splitting his face in half. "There is no doubt in my mind that I was born for one reason, and one reason only: to serve as your protector, partner, lover, provider, best friend, and anything else you need me to be. I love you, Bella, and I will spend the rest of my life making sure that you have everything you could ever need or want, and that you're as happy as you've made me. Isabella Marie Swan, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

I stared at him for a long moment, completely speechless. Behind him, our friends were watching me expectantly, large smiles on their faces. Esme had tears of joy streaming down her face, and Carlisle was grinning proudly at her side. My eyes landed on the one person I was searching for, and he smiled a watery smile at me, reaching up to discreetly dab at the corner of his eye.

My gaze landed back on Edward, his eyes full of the love he had just professed. Everything became clear in that moment, and I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that every word he had said was true. A strangled laugh choked from my throat, and I nodded furiously.

"Yes!" Edward jumped to his feet, his smile impossibly wide, and wrapped his arms around me waist, lifting me off the ground to spin us around, as his lips came crashing down on mine. The backyard filled with cheers and applause, and he set me gently back on my feet to slide the ring into place on my left hand, where it would remain for the rest of my life. He cupped my face in his hands to give me one more kisses, pouring all of his love into that one gesture.

"Thank you," he murmured, keeping his lips on mine.

"I love you," I smiled, wrapping my arms around his neck. He held me close, burying his face in my neck, before we were surrounded by our family and friends.

"See! I told you we'd stay in touch!" Alice cried, dabbing at her tear-streaked face. "There is no way you could possibly plan a wedding by yourself!" The whole group laughed at her declaration, me included, and I clutched Edward's hand in my own. Our lives were just beginning, and we had a long road ahead of us. But I would get through it, if I had him by my side. My best friend.

**A/N: The end! I'm sad to see it go, but it was so much fun to write. I hope you guys enjoyed it, and thanks again for all of the wonderful reviews. I pray you all stay safe, and keep reading!**


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